


Elbow Grease and Enthusiasm

by Tobiroth



Series: Cloud's Birthday Week 2k15 [5]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-13
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-04 06:09:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 74,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4127784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tobiroth/pseuds/Tobiroth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the (sort of) tragic death of his motorcycle, Zack develops an interest in the slums mechanic he takes the bike to. Even though Cloud isn’t exactly the greatest fan of ShinRa, and older than Zack as well as his boyfriends, he isn’t deterred.  It’s the difficult stuff in life that’s worth all the effort anyways, if you asked him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on tumblr. Thanks to the anon who requested this.

Trusty ol Odin had been making terrible sounds for at least five miles.  Really,  _really_ terrible ones.  Every time Zack steered left or right he was rewarded with a deep groaning.  A high-pitched whistling grew increasingly annoying the longer the engine ran.  

Quite honestly, Zack was sixty percent sure his beloved bike would explode on him before he got home. With luck it would happen outside Midgar’s gates; there was nothing to be gained from endangering anybody with bike shrapnel.  He’d be fine, of course—maybe a little singed, but  _hell_ , that would make a freakin’ impressive story.  

A group of Zenenes caught him on his way back from some ruins an hour or so outside Midgar.  A couple unfortunate Piazzo Showers later Zack had a few sizzling holes in his clothing.  He crushed his second emptied Antidote container in his fist, and threw them both at the corpse of the last Zenene, irritated.  

“Poison,  _honestly_ …” he grumbled as he got back on the bike, adjusting his sword on its magnetic harness to ensure it wouldn’t damage him or the bike as he rode.  Midgar was close now; he was practically home.  The problem was that some of the poison from the monsters had gotten onto the bike and dripped all over the engine.  Unlike his uniform, it hadn’t worn any holes into the metal, but… it couldn’t be a  _good_ thing.

Zack tried not to think about monster poison possibly mixing with the fuel in his bike as he rolled through Sector 3.  The noise of the thing drew a couple heads, but few people continued to stare. Unless you were trying to pick a fight with ShinRa the people here tended to ignore SOLDIERs; their presence wasn’t exactly beloved by most folks under the plate.  The infantry, charged with patrolling the various Sectors and keeping things ‘orderly,’ had it even worse, however.

Turning down a road that would eventually bring him towards access to the upper plate and home, Zack winced as Odin let out another unhappy noise.  This time it sounded weak and defeated, almost.

Zack patted the bike. “Hang in there, buddy.”

Odin did not listen. With some ear-popping spurts and a loud crack from the exhaust pipe, the bike’s engine cut.  It rolled to a stop.

Zack let his head thunk against the handlebars.  “Fuck,” he cursed, smacking the frame as he eased it to the side and out of the way. The fucking thing was dead, and here he was with liquefied garbage from the gutter squelching under his boots as he crouched to inspect it.  The bike  _looked_ pretty fine, other than a few green drops here and there.  Then again, the bike was powered by a mako-based fuel so… who knows what that was?

Asking someone nearby for help was always an option, but that was a last resort. He had been pointed in the wrong direction too many times to count by folks under the plate, as it was one of their small ways at getting back at ShinRa.  (This was, of course, independent of all the attempted wallet thefts, one  _actual_ wallet theft, the few unsuccessful group-muggings, and other unsavory attacks.)  Instead, Zack pulled out his PHS and prayed for some signal in this part of town.  He was right on the border of Sectors 3 and 4, and according to his GPS, which was weak and took some time to load, but was working… there was a mechanic five blocks west.  

Zack could have danced. He put the thing in neutral, grabbed the handlebars, and started to walk it there.  A slow-moving SOLDIER pushing a motorcycle made an easy target but the size of the broadsword on his back and the calculating, mako-eyed frown he shot anybody who got too close kept him undisturbed.

Sector 4 was a bit better than Sector 3.  He passed a large train station—he’d take it back up to the top of the plate provided the motorcycle couldn’t be driven home to the Tower—and continued on a little more until arriving at  _Highwind Auto_.

It didn’t look like much, but Zack hardly cared. His PHS said the place was rated four and a half stars out of five.  Not that he would have walked it an extra thirty blocks to the next mechanic, but it was nice to know anyway.  

There was a small yard out back where some vehicles were cramped together but Zack went in the front after propping his bike on its kickstand on the sidewalk outside the door. The front door was dirty and smudged, and had some bells on a leather strip that jingled as he pushed it open. The place was small, with a counter in the front, a few chairs pushed together to the side for a waiting area next to a table cluttered with some worn magazines.  Behind the counter was the main area of the shop—the place where they hoisted trucks up to get underneath and where they serviced the vehicles themselves.  

A blond man looked up from a dingy computer as he entered.  His eyes took in the uniform and sword and then hardened; he crossed his arms across his chest.  “You better not be tryin’ to start trouble in my shop,” he growled, speaking calmly around an unlit cigarette, perched between his lips.  

Zack’s posture smoothed out.  He pushed back his shoulders and put a playfulness into the swing of his arms and the tilt of his head.  “Not at all, Sir,” he said, grinning (because dammit, his bike was broken; he needed some help, asshole or no).  “I’m wondering if you guys could take a look at my motorcycle.  It broke down somewhere in Sector 3.”

“We don’t do retrieval for ShinRa.”

Zack briefly clenched his jaw.  “There’s no need.  I walked it here.  It’s just outside the door.”

The man studied him for a moment.  Zack could see the graying roots of his hair and the lines around his mouth from, he presumed, a great many cigarettes.  He eventually sighed, “If ShinRa’s payin’ this won’t be cheap,” and turned to a door behind him.  He stuck his head into the garage area beyond and roared, “ _Cloud_!  Get yer ass out here—got a bike for ya!”

The man pushed some paperwork into Zack’s hands before disappearing into the back and Zack tended to the first few lines on the topmost form while hiding a grimace. He made no secret of his distaste for paperwork, always preferring hands-on work to the desk stuff.  Still, he always did it, and he did it  _well_.

He stared at one of the blanks, though. The make/model…?  He had no clue.

The arrival of the bike specialist gave him a break, and Zack greeted the man with a kind smile despite his exhaustion—it was slightly strained, but he was trying.  The sooner he got out of here the better.  

“Hey,” the man greeted, in a low, smooth voice that didn’t quite match his face.  “Heard you got a bike for me.”

“Yeah,” Zack sighed, flashing a grumpy frown.  “Lucky you.”

“Name’s Cloud,” he said. “Cid didn’t give you a clipboard. Here.”  He grabbed one from nearby and passed it over, then lifted up a section of the counter on a hinge to enter the rest of the welcome room.  “Write as we walk. C’mon.”

Zack paid little attention to the forms as he followed Cloud back outside.  It had been a tiring mission.  He hadn’t slept at all the previous night, on his own without backup eliminating what was supposed to be a small monster horde but was definitely not. He was running on ration bars and a few energy potions, and while he did have some excellent notes for the excavation team that was looking into salvaging what they could of the ruins and had found a rare materia half-buried in some dirt, he was mentally exhausted. A hot man with hair that shone down here in the darkness beneath the plate was exponentially more distracting than he would be under normal circumstances.

There was this thing Zack had.  When one of his boyfriends was dirty or grimy or sweaty, when Genesis just finished off another horde, when Sephiroth sent him a sharp look after just hopping off the treadmill, or when Angeal was streaked with dirt from his plant projects, well… he liked that.  A lot. This Cloud here wore a sleeveless white tank top, stained with grease and sweat, and tight black pants that hugged his ass as he planted his hands on his hips and bent to inspect Odin.

Zack watched shamelessly as the mechanic walked around the entire bike, his pretty lips turned down into a deep frown as he studied it.  Then his unconscious leer morphed into an expression of shock as Cloud pushed with his boot, and effortlessly knocked Zack’s bike over into the dirt.

“What the hell is this,” Cloud asked him—but said like a statement.  He faced him, his expression making Zack feel like… like he’d done something horrible.

Zack held up his hands, clipboard in one hand and his pen in the other.  “I know, I know, he’s old.  There was a monster attack outside the city, and he kind of got drenched from a poison-based attack.”

Cloud seemed unamused. He picked the bike back up and then ran a hand through his hair, sending his spikes even more askew.  “It’s not that the bike is old—with the right care older bikes often run better than new ones. This has just been subjected to the  _shittiest_ care I’ve seen in a long while.”

“Heeey,” Zack whined as his shoulders drooped.  “Don’t look at me like that, man.  The thing got requisitioned to me when I hit Second Class.  SOLDIERs don’t service them ourselves—there’s a few mechanics in the tower who take care of ‘em.”

“From the looks of it, they shouldn’t be allowed near another bike anytime soon,” Cloud said, and pat Odin’s handlebar.  “What do you know?”

“Not much,” Zack admitted.  “I don’t know the model, or any specifications, or anything. I just ride it. And not often, either; no one at HQ uses these damn things, with chocobos around.”

“Chocobos need care. Motorcycles do too.”

Cloud crouched, wiping at his forehead with the back of one wrist as he did so.  It was hot out today, though considerably more so outside the city, where, well, there was sunlight. Zack’s eyes narrowed in on the movement before he forced himself to fill out the paperwork (or whatever he could of it, anyway).

“Motorcycles don’t need a couple handfuls of gysahl greens every few hours, Spike,” Zack said as he scribbled, “Nor do they leave nasty shits all over the place.”

The man snorted. Zack glanced up—the seat of the bike was off, and Cloud was poking around at something.  “No, but if you leave a bike to its own devices and neglect it, it’ll end up like this.  In trouble. A piece of junk.”

“Hey.”

“If you actually cared, you wouldn’t have let it get this bad.”  Cloud replaced the seat and stood up.  “Or let it get covered in poison.”

“It’s not like I was trying to give it a bath.  You ever fought a Zenene?”  

“Yeah.”  Cloud nudged up the kickstand.  “And I’ve never gotten my bike ruined.”

“Well well well,” Zack drawled, narrowing his eyes as Cloud started to wheel it around to the back of the shop, through the side door.  His voice grew louder so the blond could hear him; he stayed where he was. “We’ve got a hotshot mechanic down here, don’t we?”

Cloud paused, almost disappeared around the corner.  He looked back at Zack for a moment, his expression puzzled, before entering the back of the garage.

Zack grinned to himself as he strolled back in the front door.  Finishing the rest of the forms didn’t take long and while he waited for Cloud to return he sent his boyfriends a group message –  _Going to be a bit later than expected. Bike troubles. Everything’s fine._

When Cloud returned he had a pair of goggles pushed up into his hair, holding his bangs back like a headband.  

Damn, he was ten kinds of cute.

“What’s the damage?”

Cloud shrugged. “It looks bad.  I can tell you you won’t be able to ride it out of here today, though.”

“I figured as much. Look, if it’s too much trouble, I can just arrange for ShinRa to come pick it up, get it off your hands.”

“Nah.”  Cloud waved him away.  “It’ll be good to work on a bike again; they’re rare down here.  If it’s possible to save your bike I’ll do it.”

Zack was impressed. Cracking a crooked grin, he asked, “You some sort of hero down here? Savior of the bikes?”

“More ‘that poor bastard who gets screamed at by his uncle all day.’”

“Is that other guy Highwind?”

“Yeah.  Is there a typo in…? It’s not recognizing… ah, there we go. Thanks. –Yeah, he’s my uncle. Cid Highwind.  He knows his stuff.”

“So do you,” Zack flirted, unable to help himself.  “You’re the chocobo whisperer of motorcycles.”

Cloud’s brows drew together, and he sent Zack an unsavory look.

“…That was really bad,” Zack admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeah,” Cloud agreed. He continued to process Zack’s forms and enter data into the old, dirty computer.

“Lemme try again. It looks like you’re a talented guy. Good with your hands.  Good at lots of other things.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I am,” Zack assured, laughing brightly, encouraged by Cloud’s small chuckle.  He didn’t really look like someone who laughed a lot—it felt like a little victory for him.  “Mostly,” he added, winking.

“You’re paying for this with ShinRa funds, yeah?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Cid’ll be happy about that…”  

“Have you been here with him for a long time?”  

“I guess.  I’ve been working at the shop with him for… ten years now.”

“A whole decade. You must’ve been real young when you started in this business, wow.”

“Not really,” Cloud answered, shrugging. “Eighteen.”

Zack opened his mouth, and then closed it with a sharp click of his teeth.  He studied the masculine cut of Cloud’s jaw again, the muscled arms, the… slightly short stature.  “You’re shittin’ me,” he said, leaning forward over the counter on his elbows, one leg crossed leisurely over the other.  “You’re twenty-eight?”

“Yeah.”  Cloud sounded hostile—Zack wondered if this was a sore spot for him.  The glint in his eyes told Zack he dared him to say what Zack was _about_ to say— _you’re too pretty to be that old_.

Zack had a feeling that, although Cloud was unenhanced, he’d give a very good attempt at fucking him up, even if he wouldn’t succeed.  “Huh,” he said instead, nodding.  “That’s cool, man.”

“Not really.”

Zack’s grin just grew. Slightly contrary people were some his favorites—he was dating one, after all, and Sephiroth could be just as bad as Genesis on his good days. Cloud handed him his business card, and Zack slid it into his pocket.  Twenty-eight put Cloud a solid six years older than Zack, at twenty-two.  

Despite being the tall, flashy SOLDIER with the company card, the big sword, and the cute one-liners, Zack suddenly felt very out of his league.  

“I’ll call you when I have a better idea of what you should do about the bike.  Maybe three days or so.”

“Okay.”  Zack just nodded, the next flirt drying up on his tongue. “…Thanks for everything.  You’re a big help.”

“Yeah.”  Cloud gave him a small, fond smile.  “See you soon, then.”  

Zack left, and as the door shut behind him he heard Cid bellow from the back of the shop, “ _I’m not PAYING YOU to CHAT UP CUSTOMERS!”_

He was still snickering about it a while later, in Sector 8, as he hopped off the roof of the train.


	2. Chapter 2

"There's a train in ten minutes. If we go now we'll make it."

"Alright."

Genesis made no move to leave, still leafing through the catalog of some posh Sector 8 accessory store. Zack had the patience to let him do his thing any other day, but no train was going to wait, not even for them. He gently hooked his elbow around Genesis' and drew the man away towards the door.

"We can come back," He soothed when Genesis' eyes narrowed dangerously. "You don't even need a new watch anyway."

"But I like looking."

"And I like how your, uh, wrists look  _in_ them. But c'mon."

Genesis finally acquiesced, and Zack let go of his arm. Genesis was pleased, but wished Zack could have hung off him a little longer. Alas, a public venture. One day they were all going to stop caring about professionalism and make their relationship public knowledge (as if the fanclubs weren't in the know already), but until then, he would have to be content with the small, subtle things.

"Are we just going to see this boy of yours?"

"No. He called me this morning about Odin. He says it doesn't look good."

"We're going to have to put your bike down. I hope you brought tissues."

"Of course not. I planned to blow my nose on your coat."

Genesis grimaced. They had to run the last block to the train. Zack tried to convince Genesis to ride up top, jumping around like a fool like he and Angeal did for 'training'—the redhead would have none of it. He settled in for a window seat, patted the space beside him, and hid a grin into his shoulder as Zack flopped down, still complaining.

"Oh, relax. Maybe I like spending time with my boyfriends while things are calm, and no one is at risk for decapitation."

"You really think that low of me? That I'd get decapitated?"

"No. Maybe if you fell asleep. But sitting and relaxing on the train like this, I can hold your hand…" Genesis lowered his voice and twisted his fingers with Zack's between their thighs. No one could see it. Zack rolled his eyes, but shot him one of those handsome smiles Genesis so adored.

"You gross romantic."

"Definitely."

They suffered through the rough ride and the blinking lights that meant the train was scanning the IDs of everybody aboard. The cars would shut down one by one if someone unauthorized was riding. Genesis had seen it happen twice; both times were entertaining, with the obvious offenders sprinting from one end of the train to the other in order to get past the closing doors. Zack said a time later, as his thumb rubbed across Genesis' knuckles, "I think you'll like him."

"I will, hm?"

"Probably. He's your type. We had good conversation."

"You said you were there for all of twenty-five minutes."

"Yeah, I know." Genesis glanced over, and Zack looked uncharacteristically sheepish for a moment. He was always so sure of himself. Genesis squeezed his hand, and the expression slid away. The Second shrugged. "I still feel like we had this connection, you know?"

"Sure. I look forward to meeting him."

"Cool. Thanks, Gen."

Truthfully Genesis could think of at least five things he'd rather be doing than going below the plate to meet Zack's crush. He was busy. He had duties to ignore with window shopping and the VR room. Still, Zack had been buzzing about this mechanic or whoever since returning from his mission a few days ago, and Genesis was a kind boyfriend. He would go.

He was gentle and pleasant for the rest of the train ride and when they disembarked. A small group of teens stared at him as he strode off the platform—Genesis waved, hoping they were in his fanclub.

Then he very nearly stepped in a pile of dog shit.

"Zack," he growled.

"You didn't squash it, you're  _fine_. Come on. It's only a few blocks this way."

Zack hauled the grumpy SOLDIER up the street to the auto shop. It looked the same as it did last time—utterly unimpressive. Genesis surveyed the place quietly. For all his wealth, he never actually got classist or snobby—Angeal had grown up poor after all, and even in poverty for a few periods of his life. Zack steered him inside.

The bells jingled as the door shut behind them, the merry sound completely at odds with the ferocious glare the man behind the counter was sending their way.

"Hi again," Zack said, sounding uncharacteristically… subdued. Genesis side-eyed him as he strolled farther in, his hands in the pockets of his coat. The place really wasn't anything to write home about.

"So you're back," the man said, somehow keeping the cigarette in his mouth as he spoke with ease.

"Er, Yeah. It's good to see you again, man."

Genesis pretended to study a certificate on the wall from some housing ordinance—looked like ShinRa's work. It made sense they were leasing the property. Judging by Zack's behavior this was not the blond man they were here to see. He'd mentioned the man was older than even he, the eldest in their relationship. This came as no small relief—he supposed the gruff mechanic was attractive enough but he was wrinkling, for Gaia's sake.

The real outrage came when the man grunted, a minute later, "And what makes you think you're welcome to stand around and make fuckin' small talk  _here_  of all places, ShinRa?"

Genesis spun on his heel. "Pardon me?" he asked, an incredulous laugh bubbling up from his throat.

"What I'm sayin'," the man clarified, rolling his eyes at Genesis' aggressive posture, "Is that generally—and as a rule—we don't cater to ShinRa here. This is a special exception, so don't be getting' any ideas. Like you're welcome to be here, or anything."

Zack was watching the owner carefully. "A special exception, huh? And why's that?"

"My nephew convinced me. And he has his own reasons for doin' what he did that I don't pretend to know, so don't ask me about it."

The blond frowned. Genesis frowned right back at him.

Zack, of course, asked him about it.

"So… you think he enjoyed our interactions last time, huh? I guess he wouldn't ask you to help us out if he didn't."

The man rolled his eyes. "This is fuckin' exhausting. I told him, 'I don't wanna be in the middle of your romance shit-'"

"Where is he?" Genesis interrupted. His lips pressed together tightly in impatience.

"Doin' something important for me in the back. He'll get up here when he gets up here."

Genesis scowled at the purposefully irritating man. "…Do I know you?" he asked after a moment.

"'Cid Highwind' ring any bells?"

"No."

"Then I guess not." Cid shrugged. "Not all of us were able to be as popular as you, with the fancy fanclub."

Not yet rising to the bait, Genesis observed, "You worked for ShinRa."

Cid snorted. "Yeah. I did."

And with that, he slammed the binder in his hands onto the counter and disappeared into the back of the shop.

"I have a feeling he doesn't want to talk about that," Zack murmured to him. His gaze was not accusing though, but empathetic, and slightly amused.

"And naturally I went from not at all interested to slightly interested," Genesis whispered back. Zack held up an arm and Genesis went to him, fighting the urge to sigh in contentment as his boyfriend's arm fell onto his shoulder and tugged him close. He wrapped one around Zack's waist in return, and they stood there together in comfortable silence (punctuated briefly with a soft chuckle from Zack as Genesis' fingers skittered along his side) until the man of the hour emerged from the back.

He wore an absolutely hideous pair of overalls with no shirt on underneath. Genesis—despite his initial revulsion when he saw the grease stains and the black smears all over the ass from where Cloud had presumably wiped his hands as he worked—was entranced.

"Spike," Zack greeted, his voice going deep and affectionate in a way Genesis hadn't heard in a long time—flirty, but without any of the ease and some of the confidence that came with doing all his flirting these days with his steady and very much already-in-love-with-him boyfriends.

Cloud nodded at them, eyes lingering on where they were affectionately holding each other. He opened the binder Cid had previously abandoned and flipped through it, grabbing a pen off the counter. He tossed it at Zack, who caught it easily.

"I'll give you the bad news once you sign," he said.

"Aw, shit." Zack sighed but nevertheless moved away from Genesis to fill out the form. Genesis followed and leaned against the counter, studying the blond man Zack hadn't been able to shut up about.

His blatant gaze must have gotten to Cloud, because he eyed him and tilted his head. His neck was a beautiful, slim thing, with defined collarbones and a deep hollow just above them that was currently shining with sweat (It was hot down here, despite the lack of sun) but this man was all muscle. His broad shoulders were well defined, and a bicep bulged as he accepted Zack's enthusiastic handshake.

"Sorry I'm kind of a mess."

"Believe me," Genesis quipped before Zack could, "There is no need to apologize." He could feel Zack's disapproval though— _don't make the man feel like a piece of meat_ —so he added on, "It's wonderful to finally meet you, dear—Zack has been singing your praises nonstop."

Cloud offered a small smile even as his brows drew together in confusion. "I haven't even done anything to his bike yet."

Zack grinned, all smoothness and charm—but to Genesis' eyes, his boyfriend looked slightly nervous. "But you did a little bit of stuff. Looked at it. Poked around a bit. Were so nice to me in my time of need."

"Ha. I kicked it over."

"You did. And I was  _hurt_ , man, I was; but I got over it. Figured you'd put enough love into the old guy to make up for it."

"I tried," Cloud said, and took a deep breath—this must be the bad news. "It's…hm. Meet me in the back?"

Cloud went through the small door; the two SOLDIERs exited the shop and walked around to the bay doors. Cloud gestured them inside. It wasn't a huge area, but was big enough for three or four workstations, with two cars currently hoisted in the air. Cid wasn't around. Odin was in the back corner, and some very essential parts of him were carefully laid out on a nearby table.

"That Zenene packed more of a punch than you thought, but it's not the worst of your problems. I'm not optimistic."

"Fuck," Zack swore, crossing his arms.

The monster poison had indeed melted a hole right in the heart of the engine. A few more minutes, Cloud said, and the thing really  _would_ have exploded. Then he pulled up the seat to look at the fuse box, and showed them all the faulty electrical connections. Frayed wires, thinner than Genesis' tolerance for Heidegger's laugh. A dirty, clogged carburetor, destroyed from mako-tinged smog. The brake pads were shot. An absolutely fucked up gearbox.

Genesis understood none of it. He did comprehend, though, the way Zack, although obviously dismayed about his bike, was more interested in the man before him than the metal at his feet.

"It'll take months for me to fix it all," Cloud said, shrugging his shoulders helplessly. "I  _can_ do it, if that's what you want. It'll be a lot of money and time."

Genesis, now sitting on a rickety chair a few feet away, crossed one leg over the other and eyed his boyfriend. "You can just use mine," he said, "It's not like I ever use the thing."

Cloud turned to him, and for a second his expression was pinched— _irritated_.

"You can't always just ride a new bike," the blond defended, sticking his hands into the pockets of those nasty overalls. "Sometimes there's that emotional connection. And a new bike can't replace it."

"Really?" Genesis snorted dismissively. "Sounds a bit sad, to me."

Cloud's posture didn't change, and he didn't react like Genesis was trying to get him to—with more anger, or emphatically. He just turned towards him a bit, the long, lean curve of his body loose. He even seemed bored—but the look he gave Genesis burned hot. He asked, "You really think so?"

Despite being shorter than the both of them, and rather soft-spoken, there was no mistaking Cloud as older than Genesis. The relaxed and cool way in which he waited for Genesis' answer, looking like he didn't care at all what he thought—but yet like he  _did_ , too, clearly thinking differently—made Genesis pause.

There were a great many inanimate things Genesis himself had attached a great deal of meaning to. One such object sat in his coat pocket, the familiar spine of the book resting against the side of his thigh. "I suppose not," he admitted, feeling like a scolded child.

Cloud did not gloat about getting the upper hand on Genesis Rhapsodos, and he did not linger in his victory. Genesis' angry inferiority had no chance to rear its head. Cloud just nodded, eyes giving him a long, vividly hot sweep. "So you'd understand," he murmured. "Sorry about Odin, Zack."

Zack glanced between the two of them. He sent Genesis a confused look as the redhead's mouth curved into a wicked smile behind Cloud's back. "It's okay. I mean, I liked him and all, but hell—I clearly didn't take good care of the bike. And neither did ShinRa."

"The techs haven't had much opportunity to destroy mine yet. I now understand it might be  _difficult_ for you to switch bikes just like that, but if you need one, mine is available."

"Why do you have a motorcycle if you don't ride it?"

"SOLDIER requisition. It's a… fanfare thing, really. All Firsts get them upon their promotion, and some Seconds, if they've demonstrated exceptional ability and played an instrumental role in some important operation or another.  _Congratulations, here's the new uniform, and a bike. Drive it around—it looks good and impressive. Or don't—they just sit there on the garage floor anyway."_ Genesis shrugged. "Most don't drive them. Zack is one of the few who do, that I know of."

"Chocobos are just so much more popular," Zack sighed. "Not as fast, yeah, but so much better in a group. And SOLDIERs rarely go on missions alone."

"Unless you're a First," Genesis added, nodding.

"That's…" Cloud crossed his arms. He stretched out his back, then dropped down into a quick squat, and twisted his torso around. As his spine gave an audible 'pop' Genesis smiled to himself as he caught Zack's expression of glee. He loved those damn squats. "…Fucked up," Cloud decided on.

Zack and Genesis let out startled laughs, and Cloud chimed in after a moment with a deep, gentle chuckle.

"What a waste of good bikes. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It's ShinRa."

Cloud seemed bitter. Genesis stood, gently nudging a piece of what used to be Odin with his boot. "Sounds like there's some bad blood between your uncle and the company."

"Not just my uncle. Both of us haven't had it easy down here, and some of it—or a lot of it—has its roots in ShinRa. Unsurprisingly." He shrugged. One of the overall straps slid off his shoulder.

_This is the perfect setup for porn,_ Genesis thought, eyeing Cloud's clothes and the setup of the garage. There was a car over there, and the trunk was at a perfect height to bend someone over it. Even as he processed all this he said aloud, and with concern, "Is there anything we can do?"

"No," Cloud said quickly. "Except sign what's left of the bike over to me and pay me for the time I spent looking at it. That is, if you don't want the scrap."

"You can keep it. Recycle the parts that are still good for something, at least."

"I can do that."

They returned to the front counter, and Zack relinquished the bike to Cloud. It was Zack's property, but given to him by ShinRa, and the company probably wouldn't be happy about it. Still, it was doubtful they would ever find out—no one gave a shit about those bikes. It was kind of sad, Genesis realized, as Cloud's frowned deepened after he realized just how many motorcycles were sitting unused in HQ.

"So… this is it, huh?" Zack asked. "Guess I don't have a good reason to come back here anymore."

Cloud eyed them both, clearly hesitant to respond. It had to be confusing for him—Zack's constant flirts (and Genesis' too), but with them so clearly involved…

"Maybe we don't need a 'good' one." Genesis smiled at the blond, who was, as Zack predicted,  _totally_ his type. "Is coming back down one of these days to see you again acceptable?"

"Huh?" Cloud blinked at them both, but quickly regained control of himself, and shrugged. His cheeks looked a little pink. "I—suppose. It's not like I do much. I've got something coming up I need to finish preparing for, but I have some free time in my schedule." He shrugged once more, and self-consciously pulled up the strap of his overalls. It obscured a stripe of his smooth pectoral and his nipple from view. Shame.

"In case you two wanted to hang out, or whatever," Cloud amended.

"That'd be great. We've got some friends we'd like to introduce you to. Who knows." Zack grinned, and reached out with his fist—Cloud bumped his own against it. Genesis was not cool enough for this gesture and settled for a handshake. It was firm, and their eyes met again.

"I'll see you soon then, maybe."

Genesis winked at him. "I very much hope so."

They shuffled out of the shop. Before leaving, they walked around the corner and peeked into the back of the garage. Cloud was standing in the far corner, over what used to be Odin, with his hands on his hips. He seemed lost in thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Zack and Genesis were being difficult, and Angeal was unable to tell if it was on purpose or not. He'd tried prompting them in various ways but always got the same, unsatisfying responses.

"Yeah, I'd fuck him," Genesis was saying. His legs were crossed and stretched out on the coffee table. Normally someone would have nagged him, even if he was just wearing socks, because the thing was glass and smudged easily, but Angeal had more important things on his mind—Sephiroth too, if the frown he was sending both of their boyfriends was any indication.

"I'd pay  _Gil_ to see you fuck him. Or…" Zack eyed the other two. "To see him fuck Seph. That'd be hot, yeah?"

Genesis narrowed his eyes at Sephiroth, looking him up and down. "Agreed," he finally decided. "He has this sort of presence that Seph would enjoy."

"Hopefully not as much presence as the last guy," Angeal interjected.

It was a calculated response. None of his other questions had gotten any decent results but this one made them both wince (Sephiroth too, beside him; Angeal wound his arm around the man's waist so he knew he was  _still_ sorry about that incident).

"…He doesn't seem the type," Zack said, scratching his cheek.

Sephiroth was even better at recognizing a tactical weak point than he was. "So this one won't become infatuated with me after we all take him to bed?"

"That was unfortunate."

"Yeah," Zack said, nodding at Genesis' words, "That… I don't think any of us saw that one coming."

"I certainly didn't," Sephiroth muttered. Angeal rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. Three times the four men had invited a fifth person to their bedroom—people they trusted and were all attracted to, and just for one night. They were plain about what they wanted (or didn't want—namely romance or entanglements afterward) and while the first two encounters had been memorable and fun, the third quickly turned sour after waking up the morning after.

_I guess your dick was so good you made him fall in love with you,_ Zack had joked once, trying to make Sephiroth feel better—but it hadn't worked. The man was a Second class SOLDIER who had been a worthy comrade to all of them for a long time. The sex was great, but instead of transitioning back into friendly—and platonic—acquaintances, the SOLDIER grew convinced that their night together had  _meant_ something, and that he was meant to join the foursome.

Indeed, most of that preoccupation had centered around Sephiroth, for whatever reason. He inundated Sephiroth's PHS with incessant calls (he'd needed to get his number changed) and waited outside his office on a few occasions so he could get the chance to explain himself, and why he felt they were meant to be.

Privately, Angeal thought that Sephiroth had never fully recovered from the ordeal. It hurt him, too, but Sephiroth must have felt that sting so much more painfully—that someone you trusted enough to sleep with (even for just one night) could turn out so… exceedingly creepy and invasive.

So he was wary. Sephiroth was too. Genesis and Zack could tell, and it was highly likely they were as well. Angeal rarely saw Zack yell, but the smackdown his boyfriend had given that Second Class in the middle of a crowded hallway was still vivid in his mind (and one of the proudest moments Angeal could remember). Even Genesis hadn't turned the man's preoccupation with Sephiroth into a jealousy thing; he was just concerned, and hadn't stood for it.

So if they were talking so easily (and so  _often_ ) about some other man, this Sector 4 mechanic, what did it mean…? They trusted him enough to not pull the same stunt? They barely knew him; that couldn't be the case.

Was he just  _that_ attractive that they were throwing their usual caution to the wind?

Sephiroth seemed just as stymied. He leant some of his weight against Angeal's side, knowing his boyfriend could handle it, and eyed the other two. "What is it you want from him, exactly?"

Angeal's eyes widened; that was certainly one way to get right to the point.

Zack laughed loudly. "He's just cute, alright? Don't read so much into it. I know better than to jump into anything without getting the full picture." Genesis agreed with him, starting a whole new conversation with Zack about Cloud's outfits.

Angeal was not convinced of anything, and nor was he content. He still had so many  _questions_ —like did that mean Zack  _wanted_ to get 'the full picture' where this mechanic was concerned? The way they talked about him was raunchy half the time but the other half… Zack had only met him twice, and Genesis once, but… it was curious.

So Angeal decided to get some of his questions answered to the best of his ability.

Aerith knew about the same as he did, but she did have a unique perspective. "Zack stopped by to visit yesterday," she told him, passing over the last of the flowers he was buying. "He was doing something in this sector."

"Oh, that's right. His mission went well." Angeal couldn't give details but the information seemed to please her. Aerith often worried for her best friend, and it was good to soothe that anxiety when he could. Zack had once fallen through her roof, so Aerith had firsthand knowledge of his durability, at least.

"He seemed chipper—not injured, or anything. These days I keep potions in a box under one of the pews just in case, though." Aerith rolled her eyes, then chuckled under her breath. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and reached for a ribbon to tie the bouquet together for him.

"Has he mentioned anything to you about… a mechanic?"

Aerith glanced at him, her lips quirking into a smile. "He has. He said he only had enough time to visit one person before he needed to get back to your Director, and he chose me." She tugged the ribbon into place, and tied the bow. "It was a damn good decision. We all know I'm the most important person under the plate, where he's concerned."

"Ha. Absolutely."

Aerith flashed him a grin. "He was a bit disappointed he didn't have time for both of us, though."

"Do you know anything about him?"

Aerith tilted her head, considering him. Angeal stood a bit straighter, looking sheepish. "I guess I'm doing a bit of investigating. Not because I disapprove of Zack having a crush, or anything—I'm mostly trying to decide how serious he is about this man. If he is serious, I want to meet him."

Aerith seemed to deem his intentions appropriate enough. "I do know Cloud," she said, nodding slowly. "He's a special person. I've only met him a few times, but he's always nice. He likes the peace and quiet of the church, he says. Bought a few flowers for his Uncle when he was sick last November. He's… a little quiet, a little sad. But he has a good soul."

Angeal was relieved to see Aerith smiling gently as she thought about this  _Cloud_ —her stamp of approval was critical.

"Do you have any idea of how serious Zack is about him?"

The woman shrugged, accepting his Gil and tucking it into her pocket. "He's only met him twice," she reminded him. "But Zack got this look on his face when he told me about him. It…was kind of dopey," she laughed, "But cute."

"Hmm…"

"He didn't look like that when talking about your other hookups," she said, and lightly elbowed him. "I have an order for a deceased infantryman's funeral to get to."

"Of course," Angeal murmured, placing a gentle, and thankful hand on her shoulder. "I'll visit you again soon. Thank you for the flowers."

"There's more where they came from," Aerith quipped, sounding like the real saleswoman she'd coached herself to be. "Invite me over for dinner soon? I haven't seen the other two in a while."

"Will do. I'll make whatever you want."

"Oh man," Aerith groaned, placing a hand on her stomach, "You can't just make promises like that, Angeal. I can eat more than Zack sometimes."

Angeal laughed. "He told me. I want to see it."

"It's a date, then," Aerith said, winking and holding up one finger—that was Zack's usual move. The effect they had on each other was ridiculous, and lovely. Angeal waved as he left the church.

It wasn't even noon yet. Angeal's day off was usually a precious thing where he stayed indoors and focused on his hobbies, maybe throwing in an hour or two of gentle exercise if he really felt like it, though his training regimen the rest of the week was intense enough that it wasn't necessary. If any of his loves had their days off too, he would spend time with them. Even if they didn't that week he usually liked to bother them in their office. His day off was a sacred thing…

…But he really was curious. He got on the train, and instead of taking it up above the plate, took it to Sector 4.

Highwind Auto wasn't that difficult to find. His sense of direction was better than most. He dithered on the doorstep, uncharacteristically nervous. He wasn't dressed for any formal meetings—jeans and a SOLDIER t-shirt—but maybe it was better that way. He reached up to pull out the short, stubby ponytail his hair was in but decided to just leave that alone, too.

_Don't stress this,_ he told himself,  _just go meet the damn mechanic._

The bells on the door jingled as he entered, and he smiled as charmingly as he could at the man behind the desk. This had to be him. Fit the description he'd been given (over and over again, actually, and even in almost poetic terms once or twice).

"Angeal Hewley," Cloud greeted, standing up straight, clearly spooked; he had been leaning over the counter and doing a crossword. Angeal wasn't surprised that he was recognized.

"Hey," Angeal said, raising a hand. When he lowered it Angeal realized he hadn't prepared a speech, and had no idea what to say to him. He had no real reason to be here, and that became increasingly apparent as Cloud continued to stare at him, looking unbearably uncomfortable. His shoulders were tense and he seemed to be cringing, almost.

"Uh, hey," Angeal repeated, "I'm Angeal. …You knew that. Well, I'm here because Zack Fair and Genesis Rhapsodos keep mentioning you, and I was in the area… and I wanted to meet you."

Cloud seemed even more awkward than he had been half a minute ago. He was… _blushing_  even? And so clearly confused.

He shot a glance at Angeal's hand, and the SOLDIER immediately realized what was wrong.

" _Oh!_ " Angeal waved his hands in dismay, one still carefully clutched around the bouquet. "I'm actually coming from a church in Sector 5—I bought these from Aerith. They're for my boyfriends, I wasn't thinking—"

"It's okay," Cloud assured, speaking rapidly and waving his hands in just as much distress, "That's not what I thought—"

It clearly  _was_. The poor man had thought some absolute stranger had come to visit with flowers. No wonder he'd been so overwhelmed and uncomfortable.

"Ugh." Angeal hung his head. "Sorry. Now I look like a dick."

Cloud laughed—it was slightly tinged with nervousness, but it seemed he was genuinely amused. "Don't worry about it."

_What would Genesis do,_ Angeal thought wildly. No, what would  _he_ do—what would the smooth-moves Angeal Hewley he knew he could be do if this was one of his boyfriends, and his ears weren't burning with embarrassment and he hadn't just fucked up his first meeting with someone?

"…Since I'm here," he muttered, walking closer to the desk, "and I caused you to suffer though that excruciatingly painful moment, you deserve one." He frowned at the bouquet and then plucked out a purple flower. He offered it, and to his relief Cloud accepted.

"What kind of flower is this?"

"What makes you think I know?"

Cloud frowned at him, but Angeal's eyes twinkled with gentle amusement, not hostility. "Aerith usually explains when she gives them out. And it looked like you picked this one in particular."

"Oh, I didn't know she did that. She already knows I'm familiar with flowers, I guess. It's an Aster."

Cloud twirled the thing between two fingers, studying it. "What's it mean?"

"Patience. For… dealing with that. And Genesis and Zack, as well."

The man gave a gentle huff of amusement. "Patience, huh... Thanks. Though it wasn't a hassle, talking with the other two."

"I'm glad to hear that. They spoke about you quite a bit."

Cloud was twirling a pen between his fingers, and the pen paused for a few moments before picking back up again. "They did?"

"They did." Angeal shifted on his feet. "Busy day today?"

"Not really, no. There aren't a whole lot of cars under the plate, if you didn't notice."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I've been filing and staring into space for two hours."

"Any luck with the crossword?"

"No. I suck at these things." Cloud tapped the side of his fist against the newspaper. "My Uncle Cid is working on a car in the back—it's our only project at the moment."

Angeal studied him, from the tips of his bright, silly hair to where the counter obscured the rest of his body. He smiled. Cloud did back, instinctively.

"Did you eat lunch yet?"

"No."

"I have some free time. If you're willing and are able to take a break, would you like to grab food somewhere? I've heard a lot about you, and I'd like to get to know you personally, if that's okay."

"…Yeah, that sounds good. I'll just go check in with Cid. Wait here a moment?"

Angeal nodded, and watched as Cloud disappeared into the back. He rocked onto his heels when he was alone, and sucked on the back of his teeth. This was risky, and unlike him, but he had a good feeling already. It seemed Cloud had the good sense to say no if he wasn't interested in this lunch date (Angeal hoped Cloud didn't think it was an interrogation, as Aerith had feared).

Cloud emerged after a short wait in a new t-shirt, one without the grease stains and the Highwind Auto logo. He also had a cup, and he filled it with some water from a pouring jug under the counter. He dropped the aster inside, to Angeal's delight, and then put the rest of Angeal's bouquet in the jug, to store them while they were gone. "Let's go," he said. They exited the shop, went around the side and Cloud waved a hand goodbye to his Uncle, still working on that car.

"Another one?" was all Cid said.

Cloud laughed. The man brought them to a burger joint a few blocks down, a tiny place crammed in next to a seedy weapons shop and a discounted furniture store. A huge, greasy burger sounded like just what Angeal needed. Cloud stood directly in front of him as he ordered at the counter though, far too close—Angeal could feel the warmth radiating from his back. He side-stepped him after the soft bulge in the front of his jeans brushed against Cloud's ass, and Cloud moved with him; he could only conclude it was on purpose. Luckily he was tall enough to still speak with the cashier over Cloud's head, even if a few spikes were tickling his mouth and nose.

Once their food was in hand they moved away, and sat at their tables. "Your shirt," Cloud muttered, shrugging unapologetically. "There's been a few poisonings."

"Ah," Angeal said, nodding as he understood.  _SOLDIER_ was emblazoned on the front, in big letters. "Thank you."

"No problem."

"Do you come here often?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's my Uncle Cid's favorite. He complains that they don't serve tea here, but everything else is good enough."

"How is it working at an auto shop with him?"

"It's alright. He's a good guy."

"Yeah? Have you been working with him for long?"

"Ten years. He has his moments, but I'm glad to be working with him."

"That's good. Working with family is either a pretty good arrangement, or just terrible."

"Well, it was necessity that brought us together, really. But it really is nice to be with him. I didn't get to see him as often as I would have liked as a kid."

"No?" Angeal took his second massive bite of his burger, crunching through the lettuce and other vegetables with satisfaction. It was good. He liked his medium-well but Cloud got his much less done; his plate was already sporting a puddle of red juice.

"Mm-mm," Cloud grunted, chewing. A pause. "I grew up in Nibelheim, and Cid lived in Rocket Town. They're close, geographically, but between them…"

"Is the Nibel mountains," Angeal finished, nodding as he understood. "That explains your accent."

"What? You… have a good ear. I've lived here so long it's almost gone. Cid's is a lot thicker."

"I do. It's cute," Angeal said, and winked before he could squash the urge. "I've heard it a few times—I've been in the area for missions."

"Then you'd know how difficult it is to cross the mountains. Going around takes weeks. Occasionally during the summer, when it's safest to take the paths across, he and his wife would visit my mom and I."

"That's nice," Angeal said, but not blandly, a meaningless thing to take up space in conversation—he could tell it must have been,  _really_. He'd only occasionally seen his own family members as a child, and hadn't seen anyone but his mother since joining ShinRa. It seemed Cloud could tell he was being genuine, and offered a hesitant smile, his cheek smeared with ketchup. "How did you two end up in Midgar?"

Cloud shrugged a shoulder. "Both of us were in a bad place, and didn't have anything. So we figured it out together."

It was obvious Cloud did not want to discuss it. Angeal just nodded, waiting for Cloud to continue. "Cid leaves Midgar regularly to visit his wife, Shera. She's still in Rocket Town."

"Why doesn't she live in Midgar as well?"

"They've got big plans for stuff out there," Cloud answered simply. "She's taking care of their house, and working on those projects."

"Huh. That's interesting. If you don't mind me asking, what kinds of projects?"

Cloud looked reluctant. He had been reluctant to talk much about his uncle or their situation for this entire meal. If he didn't want to, that was fine—Angeal didn't know him, after all. There was no obligation. Still, Angeal offered that reassuring, kind, open smile he always gave, the one that encouraged misbehaving Thirds or a tantruming boyfriend to open up… and after thinking it over, Cloud did.

"Do you know why it's called 'Rocket Town?'"

"Because they build rockets, I presume."

"Because  _Cid_ builds rockets. Along with lots of other folks, but he was instrumental, back in his day."

"Then why is he here?" It was the same question again, though this time Cloud answered.

"Uncle Cid used to be chief engineer of ShinRa's Space Exploration Department."

Angeal instantly frowned; he knew what happened to that department. Cloud took a swig of his soda and continued, sounding like he was stubbornly pushing the words out. That was worthy of respect. "There were plans to go to space. They got close, but their rocket failed. There were backups in the works, and they knew what went wrong, and could have fixed it for next time—but the funding was too much; they couldn't convince the company to continue to finance them. So they got cut. Cid got laid off, and with no compensation. He was just… left to the wolves one day. He fought it, of course—yelled and screamed at anyone who would listen, and had to be escorted off the premises by Turks. He's bitter about it."

"…I understand his frustration," Angeal said, feeling it was inadequate. Cloud shrugged again, but it was a bad excuse for one.

"Rocket Town doesn't build rockets any longer. Now it's just… little stuff. He wants to make money here to start building himself an airship one day. Then he'll leave. He figures that even if he can't get out into space, he'll still have a good time in the 'upper atmosphere.'"

"Flying is nice."

Cloud looked at him curiously. "You've flown before?"

_Shit_. "In—in a helicopter," Angeal said quickly, his brain and words stuttering in momentary panic.

"Nice. Cid knew a guy who let me ride in one a few years back. It was great."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Cloud wiped at his mouth with his napkin. "But enough about me. Tell me a bit about yourself, Mr. Hewley." Cloud said it with a sly, flirty smile, and his eyes twinkling—Angeal was happy to see it.

"First, I want to know how you recognized me. You a fan?"

"I have  _eyes_."

"I was just wondering if you did any research, after Zack's first visit."

"Maybe I did do a bit of that," Cloud admitted. "I've heard his name once or twice, but didn't make the connection until after he left. He seems like a good guy. I didn't realize until you said it earlier that you're…dating them?"

"Plus one more."

"Sephiroth," Cloud confirmed.

"Yeah."

"Then why the hell are you guys spending so much time flirting with me?"

Angeal blinked, taken aback—that was  _Sephiroth_ levels of direct. He hadn't expected it. "I… don't know," he admitted, aware that sounded like a shitty thing to say. "Zack, he—he hasn't stopped talking about you since the first time you met. And Genesis as well, now that he's met you. I wanted to meet you, to see…for myself."

Cloud just chewed a french fry, studying him. "I don't appreciate being toyed with by married men. You're not married, but…"

"We might as well could be," Angeal said, shrugging. "You're right, the four of us are in a very committed relationship that we have no plans of leaving anytime soon. We do, however, occasionally invite others into our bed, as friends. I don't know about Sephiroth, because you'd have to meet him so he can form an opinion, but it seems like you'd be welcome. Zack and Genesis seem to enjoy your company."

If Cloud was going to be blunt Angeal could give as good as he got. It was all out on the table. Cloud didn't even blink. He ate another fry.

"If you're interested in any of us like that," Angeal amended.

"I would have to meet Sephiroth so I can form an opinion," Cloud said lightly. It looked like he was processing all of this though. "And what about you?"

"Do I…?"

"Feel like you'd 'welcome' me. We just met."

"I know enough to tell you're a good person." He lowered his voice, trying to be seductive with a plate of meat and fried potato in front of him. "Sexy as hell. Beautiful, even…"

Cloud laughed right in his face.

"…Kids these days," he said after a moment, rubbing the back of his neck, a little flushed. That cracked Angeal up, and then the tension between them was broken.

"You're two years older than Genesis and I. Please."

"Yeah, yeah. But back to my original question—and because there's apparently more than I thought riding on it.  _Tell me_ about yourself, Angeal."

Angeal was happy to.

Generally, he had trouble talking with people outside of the military—almost all of them did. It was just hard to relate. Cloud listened to his stories with genuine interest though, and none of the dazed hero worship that so put Angeal off. He asked questions, and responded with empathy. He had a cute, dorky smile. He still had ketchup on one cheek.

They talked all the way back to the auto shop, where Cloud went back behind the desk.

"Looks like I have to let you go," Angeal said, surprisingly unhappy about it. He hadn't expected this at all. "I'll see you soon?"

Cloud scuffed the sole of one of his combat boots against the concrete floor. "…Next week is this thing," he said slowly. It's at ShinRa tower, actually. I'm showing my personal bike, been putting the final touches on it for months. I'll be there, if you wanted to swing by."

"Oh." Angeal vaguely remembered Genesis saying something about Cloud having 'a thing' coming up. "…Alright. We'll see you then."

"Okay."

Angeal took his flowers back and said his goodbyes. A great deal of his day off was over. It wasn't wasted, though. Somehow… Angeal felt like he  _got it_.

No, he wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do with Cloud either. Fuck him or  _date_ him or… just get to know him better, without worrying about any of that? But it was obvious what the differences were between Cloud and the last hookup. Cloud was calm and magnetic. Cloud was kind.

Something in Angeal  _believed_ in Cloud Strife, for whatever fucking reason. He wasn't worried.


	4. Chapter 4

To the unenhanced eye, Sephiroth's tie looked fine. The fabric, however, tilted very  _very_ slightly to one side, and no matter how many times he re-tied it or adjusted the thing it would not straighten out. In all likelihood no one would notice, but just  _knowing_ that it was crooked wasn't sitting right with him. Sephiroth frowned down at it, tugging on one end.

Hands wound around his shoulders from behind and smacked his own away. Genesis was lucky, because he was still lounging in his underwear. He smelled like body wash and warm skin, and pressed up closely behind him as he tugged once, twice, on the tie; it was now even more askew than it was before.

"You're nervous," Genesis said. "Don't get stuck on the damn tie. You look lovely."

The elder SOLDIER's arms looped around his waist. Everything about this man was frustratingly tempting. Sephiroth would much rather ease his boyfriend onto the nearby bed than go on with this, but...

Genesis seemed to sense his thoughts. "That's for later, perhaps."

"If I approve of him."

"If you approve of him. Correct."

Sephiroth scowled. Genesis dropped his chin on Sephiroth's shoulder. Their eyes met in the mirror as his hands stroked Sephiroth's hips and waist. He was gentle, trying to massage some serenity into the other man.

"If you're not comfortable taking anyone to our bed, the whole thing is off. You're in control here, Seph."

"I know."

"If you're not one hundred percent ready to try this again, we won't do it. No one will be disappointed."

A pause. "I know."

"Good." Genesis kissed his cheek, and then came around to kiss his mouth, and then his mouth again, and again. His hands coasted up Sephiroth's neck to cup his jaw. Sephiroth leant into his hands desperately.

Genesis withdrew with one last peck. "I hope you like him."

"I do as well. I'm curious."

"And if you find you  _don't_ like him—oh well. That's that."

A small part of Sephiroth felt guilty—he wouldn't want to be the one person who wasn't keen on Zack's crush (or was this Cloud Strife now Angeal and Genesis' crush, as well?) but he understood the terms of their relationship perfectly. If they  _all_ weren't on board, nothing would happen. They all wanted it that way.

In a way, then, there was pressure on him for this meeting with Strife—the others were planning to invite Cloud back to Genesis' apartment after the night's festivities (provided everything went smoothly and Sephiroth was as 'down to fuck' as the others said they were).

However, before they could consider any of that, Sephiroth had to survive this stupid showcase. Unfortunately, he had to be there early, to pose for pictures and interact with ShinRa investors, who got to go through the Tower before the public could.

"We'll see you soon," Genesis said with a last tug to his collar. "Have fun."

"Unlikely," Sephiroth said, but grinned as Genesis pulled him in one last time, his lips lingering against his own. Then he patted Sephiroth's chest, gave him a wink, and pushed him towards the door.

"See you later, dearest. Try to enjoy yourself."

\----------------------------------------------------------

"Hold on, one more."

Sephiroth had a horribly fake, horribly strained smile when he posed for cameras. Some people in the company hadn't been happy about it (they said he looked rather frightening, apparently) so Sephiroth had put some work into his smile-at-command. He tended to think of something funny that would cause him to almost give a real laugh. Usually it was something that one of his boyfriends had done, but there was a comedy movie he liked to watch in his office sometimes, on slow days.

Even the memory of the antagonist getting blown out of his office window and landing in a dumpster out in the street brought just the faintest hint of a smile to his face. When the pictures were done Sephiroth stepped smoothly away from the President and the chair, putting significant space between him and them in just a few long-legged strides.

_Celebrating Innovation in our Community_ was the theme of the evening, and the event was held, like most large-scale ones were, in several large halls on the first floor of the Tower. Later, the area would be crowded with civilians off the street. Even with just this select crowd it was too packed for Sephiroth's tastes. He took a deep breath, his chest expanding under the constricting push of his uncharacteristic suit and tie.

The idea was ridiculous. To think ShinRa was  _part_ of any  _community_ … not a chance. They claimed they'd found the best and brightest from around Midgar to showcase their inventions and ideas. At least a third of the people present were not from the city, however, but would serve to titillate investors enough to contribute more funds. Unsurprising.

The rooms were filling up with chattering well-to-do's. Sephiroth wanted nothing to do with it. He strolled around a bit, trying to look engaged while ignoring all the nearby people who were gawking at him.

Someone with a terribly masked accent was trying to sell him on proposed adjustments to their military-issue PHS units.

"You would select an icon, see," she was saying, gesturing at her model device in her hand, "And it would bring up a program that does a specific thing. Like, weather—select the weather icon, and a specific weather  _application_ would show on your screen."

"…Hm," Sephiroth said, considering. "What would you call them?"

"Uhh… appli… app…" She seemed puzzled.

Sephiroth nodded and moved away without another word. It was unlike him, to be putting off the inevitable. He rolled his shoulders, flattened out his expression, and finally went to find the mechanic.

There were a total of five halls reserved for this event. Sephiroth found Cloud in the fourth one, and near the center, with one of the many spotlights on the ceiling aimed down on the results of his 'innovation,' and it was… breathtaking, really.

He assumed this was Cloud, at least. He fit the description given. He was a stiff and awkward-looking man in a cheap suit who was currently grimacing as he handed a dazzled investor a business card.

When the woman left Cloud noticed Sephiroth, standing uncomfortably to the side.

They stared at each other for a long, heavy moment.

Cloud then straightened his spine and lifted his chin, staring Sephiroth down. It was almost military-like.

"Cloud Strife."

"General Sephiroth."

"There is no need for you to call me 'General,'" Sephiroth corrected, then realized his response came out more curt than he wanted. Cloud didn't visibly respond.

"…It's amazing," Sephiroth then said, absolutely unsure what to say.

The mechanic's eyes cut to his motorcycle. A gleaming plaque on a nearby stand read  _FENRIR._ "Thank you," he said, his voice soft—far too intimate for such a busy showroom, but maybe that was the point. Cloud looked like he wanted to chat with the crowds about as much as Sephiroth did. Surprising, since he was, well, present, after all. "He's my pride and joy."

"Did you build… him, yourself?"

Cloud nodded. He walked to the side of the bike and placed a hand on its gleaming body. Sephiroth owned a motorcycle, and it looked nothing like this. Fenrir really was an impressive machine. The two front wheels stretched out far in front, covered by shiny black metal. In fact, it was… a very long stretch indeed. Sephiroth studied the metal joining them to about where the rider would place their knees.

The blond man's lips quirked into a smile.

"Check this out," he said, and pressed a release somewhere near the handlebars. Those long black strips expanded up and outward, revealing they were compartments.

Cloud pulled a small sword out of one of them, and then another, slightly longer, out of the compartment next to it. Glancing at him, Cloud grinned when he realized Sephiroth was watching intently. He pulled out four more blades, and put them all together in front of him to form one large,  _long_ broadsword. Just under the size of Angeal's Buster Sword, it looked like.

"Did you design it yourself?"

"The sword, or the bike?"

Sephiroth had been talking about the sword— _swords_ —but glanced again at the absurdly gorgeous, glittering motorcycle on Cloud's left. "Both," he answered.

"Yes, then," the man said, nodding at him. "I feel like I've been working on Fenrir my whole life. As a kid I had this vision of him, you know? I finally completed him four years ago. I make small improvements all the time, though."

"And the blades?"

Sephiroth eyed them. They were obviously carefully made, and with considerable skill. He didn't ask to touch—he would never; even holding his boyfriends' swords without asking made him uncomfortable—but Cloud offered the completed blade to him. He accepted. "I have a metal-working friend," Cloud murmured, for him to hear, and not any of the surrounding crowd. "Barret made himself a gun for an arm after he lost it. He helped with the blades and most of the release mechanisms, and I sketched it out, helped where I could."

"So your vehicle is reasonably equipped for combat," Sephiroth mused, studying the whole situation.

"Mm," Cloud nodded. "I'm not anywhere near a SOLDIER's level, but I can fight."

Something in the man's tone made him glance up from the sword. The blond was frowning, and sweeping the hall with a slow, nervous look. People were watching them, of course; it was Sephiroth, and Fenrir really did attract a lot of attention.

He passed the sword back over. Cloud immediately disassembled it with evident comfort and ease, slotting the blades back into their correct spots. Amazing, truly.

Sephiroth wasn't really sure how to convey how impressed he was with who he thought promised to be an attractive, but overall rather dull mechanic, without sounding rude, so he remained quiet. He stepped closer, though, to the man's side. He was rather…short. His hair gave him height, however, and definitely a presence.

The moment Cloud realized Sephiroth intended to stay with him was easy to spot. His eyes—pretty, though lacking a mako glow—widened and he straightened his spine again. His throat worked as he swallowed.

There were even more people, though. The first of the public must be drifting in. Sephiroth glanced at his PHS. Angeal, Zack and Genesis were due to arrive when the time came for everyone else to enter. He had a text from Angeal:  _We're running late. Zack is nervous about seeing Cloud again and fussing over his hair. See you in a bit._

Because this was one of the back rooms it was less packed than the others; they could see room number three, the closest one, filling up significantly, however. Cloud shifted on his feet. Sephiroth's tie suddenly felt constricting. He tugged at it.

With the two of them no longer conversing a nearby man had the opportunity to approach.

"It's a beautiful bike," he said, grinning at Cloud.

"Thanks," he replied, a little stiffly. He glanced at Sephiroth.

The man asked about the specs on the bike, and Cloud started talking about it, pride evident in his tone. This room was really crowding up though, with people itching to get a good look at Sephiroth as well as check out all the  _Innovation_  present.

By the end of Cloud's conversation that had started so smoothly, the blond was rushing his words and clenching his fists. He looked flushed.

"How did you end up here tonight, Mr. Strife?" Sephiroth asked when he left.

"You can call me Cloud," Cloud said. "I was driving Fenrir around under the plate a few months back. Got spotted by some ShinRa exec who got my number."

"Do you often bring your motorcycle to these types of events?"

"Sometimes. Never anything ShinRa, though."

"No?"

"No," Cloud confirmed, and grew distracted by someone else wondering about Fenrir.

Sephiroth was unsure what exactly was the matter, but he had a feeling his presence was intimidating the mechanic. Cloud's shoulders had gone tense and he was speaking more loudly than before, and in a different pitch, like he was self-consciously listening to his own voice. He kept shooting Sephiroth looks over his shoulder as well, as if checking to see he was still there.

Sephiroth asked during the next pause, "How are things with Zack's bike? You're scrapping it, correct?"

"I'm not sure yet. That was the plan. We're hurting for some parts at the moment and don't really have the funds to purchase them, but… I dunno."

"Are you getting paid for being here?"

"A little." Cloud was breathing very deeply. Sephiroth tugged yet again at the neck of his tie at the sight. "Not much at all, but it's income that my Uncle and I need—even if he pretends he's too good to show here. He's pissed at me for showing up. I get to hand out our business cards, at least."

"You don't want to be here." Sephiroth's eyes narrowed in thought. He ignored the civilian who bumped into him—accidentally or otherwise.

"Not really," Cloud said, frowning stubbornly at him. "We have our pride."

Angeal had mentioned Cloud's Uncle Cid, being laid off from the company ten years ago.

"But it's money," he finished.

Someone new asked about Fenrir. It was getting hot. Someone bumped into Sephiroth again. He was pressed close to Cloud now, due to the volume of people on all sides. Cloud continued to shift uncomfortably on his feet.

Sephiroth was fucking terrible at small talk, but he tried again. It beat mingling by himself, and besides, he was on a mission.

"How do you like working as a mechanic?"

"It's alright," Cloud wheezed, positively red in the face. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

The blond man turned on his heel, pushed past a couple ogling Fenrir, and started to speed walk towards the closest exit. Sephiroth watched the crowd swallow him, then glanced back at the bike. He decided to follow.

He found Cloud out an emergency exit to a stairwell (unalarmed—he knew there were Turks in here and in the surrounding rooms monitoring what was going on in the event). Cloud had his hands folded on top of his head and walked up and down the same flight of stairs, taking big, rhythmic breaths that he would hold for a long few moments, and then release.

Cloud didn't realize Sephiroth studying him at first. "…Strife," he offered, hesitantly.

The man froze and stared at him. "Sephiroth?"

"Are you ill?"

Cloud's face twisted. He resumed his walking, twisting his head to keep Sephiroth in his vision as he turned and started to go up the stairs again. "I'm fine," he said.

To Sephiroth's eye, Cloud still looked uneasy, and unwell. His hands were trembling.

"…I'm really fine," Cloud grunted. He stared at his shiny shoes, clacking away on the metal steps. "Started to have a panic attack, but I'll be good in a minute. I just had to… get away from that crowd."

The cramped stairwell was, in comparison to the room they had just been in, heavenly. The air was noticeably cooler (even if it did carry a bit of a stale smell). The crowd had been extremely oppressive. Sephiroth did not blame Cloud—from what he understood anxiety arising from circumstances like those were reasonably common—but the blond looked so  _miserable_ , scowling at his feet.

"I'm twenty-fucking-eight," Cloud continued, voice full of self-loathing, "It's been ten years since I was here. I thought I'd be over it, but I couldn't even handle…"

He could hear the Turk breathing three stories above, but decide to ignore her. "I am extremely claustrophobic," he blurted— _blurted_ , he said it before he even thought about it!— "and I have been since I was a small child. I spent a lot of time in…cramped environments when I was young. I feel as if I cannot breathe in small spaces. I prefer not to wear something that constricts my breathing, like most shirts."

"…That explains the tie," Cloud murmured, looking at him—he had stopped breathing so irregularly.

"Pardon?"

Cloud eyed his neck. "You were fiddling with that thing twice a minute, it felt like."

"I was," Sephiroth stated, doubtful.

"You were." Cloud nodded meaningfully, and as their eyes met something heavy flashed between them. This man didn't seem like the type to reveal his weaknesses so easily either, Sephiroth thought. Cloud's feet slowed, and then finally stopped. "…Thank you for checking on me."

"It… was mostly a selfish decision. I would have needed to find someone else to talk to—it's what I was there for." Cloud watched him evenly. His face had a normal color again. "Though, I am under orders to get to know you better. I suppose that informed my decision somewhat."

Cloud quirked a small smile. "Whose orders?"

"My partners'."

"I see."

Sephiroth found himself smiling in return. It was small, as was his new acquaintance's, but it was something. It was good to know that  _he_ had not been the source of Cloud's discomfort back in the showcase, but everyone else, and that his presence actually offered some small comfort. "Do you wish to return to your bike, when you feel able?"

"Not really. He's locked up, and I'm promised a massive insurance check if anything happens to him. They don't need me around."

"I was under the impression you wanted to hand out business cards."

"I gave out a few." Cloud shrugged. "This event is bullshit anyway. Half the people here aren't even from Midgar. It's not worth it, going back out there." At Sephiroth's unspoken question he elaborated. "I've got some bad memories here. Told my Uncle I wouldn't let it bother me too much. Easy to make that promise."

Sephiroth didn't know what to say. "Can I walk around?" Cloud asked. "Do I need a chaperone or something, unsupervised civilian and all?"

"I will accompany you. I would like to. I can assign you a Turk for a chaperone if you would prefer their company to mine."

"No," Cloud snorted. "You're kind of the best company I could ask for, right now."

With that, Cloud started up the stairs. The Turk above them slunk away. They eventually emerged onto the sixth floor. Sephiroth directed them to the elevator.

"Is there anywhere in particular you would like to go?"

_Your apartment_ , he kind of hoped Cloud would answer. True, it would be rather forward, but it didn't necessarily mean for sex— _yet_. He needed to know Cloud more to make any sort of halfway informed decision. He knew a few things already though—Cloud was indeed attractive, and they  _clicked_. It was a solid start.

The mechanic scanned the inside of the elevator as the doors shut, Sephiroth's ungloved fingertip hovering over a button.

"I'd like to visit Space Exploration," he said, his voice firm.

"It's closed. That wing is abandoned, and off-limits to nearly everyone in the company."

Cloud's expression didn't shift. He waited patiently, those stubborn blue eyes staring into his own. He knew, as Sephiroth did, that he hadn't said 'no.'

"We can go. I have access."

"Thanks."

Sephiroth pressed the button for the correct floor, responding politely to Cloud's gratitude. He should have expected this. All things considered, it wasn't too unreasonable a request, nor any undue hardship on him to fulfill. Neither had to suffer through more of the Innovation showcase, and time alone together could only be a good thing, considering the night's objectives.

The entrance to Space Exploration was on the twenty-fifth floor. Inside the wing the area encompassed three different floors, but there were no entrances on floors twenty six and seven. It was at the end of a long, lonely hallway. No one else was around.

At Sephiroth's look, Cloud said, "I don't know what I'm looking for, exactly. I just… want to see it."

Sephiroth nodded, and scanned his ID. The reader beeped as it granted clearance, and the door automatically retreated into the wall with a squeak that had Sephiroth grinding his teeth. Rusty.

Cloud hesitated briefly on the doorstep. He probably hadn't anticipated this entire wing to be devoid of power. It was abandoned, after all; power had been diverted to more critical areas.

"Tell me there's a switch," Cloud murmured as he walked in. This room had once been a reception area, where you could learn more about the initiative. Now the front desk sat under a thick layer of dust. The grand  _ShinRa Electric and Power Company Space Exploration Program_ plaque on the wall reflected the light coming in from the hallway.

The door slid shut behind them, cutting it off entirely.

"I'm afraid not. This way," Sephiroth said. He was aware Cloud would not be able to see nearly as well as he—not at all, actually, they were in complete darkness—so he reached for Cloud's shoulder. The man startled, but Sephiroth did not comment in case it embarrassed him. "There is a door to the right to the rest of the facilities."

This door accepted IDs as well once upon a time, but now required a more physical approach. He pushed the door off its tracks with little effort and led Cloud into the next area, one arm still cupped around his warm, broad shoulder.

"Wow," Cloud breathed.

This room was  _big,_ and stretched all the way to the edge of the building. Large windows on the far side allowed in greenish light, but it was so faint from here…

Cloud fumbled in his pocket for a moment. Then light erupted from something in his hand.

"Is that a PHS?"

"Yeah. They've started making units for civilians. Called 'cell phones.'"

Cloud shone the light this way and that. "It was evacuated in a hurry," Sephiroth said.

"I know. Uncle Cid had one day to clear out his shit. He was too pissed to come in."

"From what I've heard about him, that sounds likely."

The sweeps of Cloud's light in the dark, silent room reminded Sephiroth of one of the horror video games Zack liked to play. Distantly, Sephiroth heard scratching. Mice, or perhaps worse.

They moved past some empty space to the beginning of a massive series of desks. On the floor were discarded pens, papers and files, and miscellaneous objects. They had sat there for ten years.

"So they've talked to you about my Uncle," Cloud noted, crouching and turning something over in his hand.

"A bit. They've spent significantly more time talking about you, I must admit."

"Yeah? What kind of stuff have you heard about me?"

Cloud was attempting to flirt, Sephiroth realized. He was grateful it was so dark that Cloud could not see his struggling expression; this was not his forte.

"That you are very attractive, and that you have a kind soul. You seem like fun, and even if you are more quiet than the others are used to, they all had good conversation with you. You work extremely hard. I also heard something about you looking 'delicious' in overalls, and that a certain someone wants to take you over the trunk of a car."

Sephiroth was fucking blushing. He could say those things to his lovers with ease, but a stranger…? Cloud gave a startled laugh that echoed off the silent walls and busied himself with rooting around in the drawers of a desk—perhaps he was, too.

"You cannot tell me you expected otherwise. They all like you quite a bit. I would not be here if that was not the case."

"Yeah. I was looking forward to meeting you, after the other three. I like them a lot."

"And your thoughts on me?"

"Pending," Cloud answered, his tone teasing. He started walking with purpose. "Come on. Uncle Cid was Chief Engineer, I doubt he'd have one of these grunt desks."

Sephiroth walked closer to Cloud as they progressed through the large room. There was no way he would accidentally bump into Cloud, so he did it purposefully. Their arms brushed, and Cloud mumbled a brief apology.

"There isn't any room here for a rocket," Cloud murmured. His 'phone' illuminated a cabinet pushed on its side, with all sorts of things spilling out of it. It was dented, as if someone had kicked it in anger. "I wonder where they actually built things."

"There was some space allocated in the basement levels. They're extremely large. There were also some facilities in the wastelands outside the city."

" _Fuck_ ," Cloud swore when they entered the next area—the eyes of a small, scurrying rodent reflected the light from his phone. "How did they even get this high up?"

"They have had ten years to climb."

Cid's desk was not in this room, or the next. But then Sephiroth spotted his name printed on a glass door. He placed his hand on Cloud's arm. "Over here."

The floor immediately outside the door and inside the office was fantastically filthy. There was an overturned chair and various shattered objects, all dust-covered and forgotten over time. Sephiroth offered his arm to stabilize Cloud as he climbed over the small mountain of junk, but he did not accept.

"Hard to believe this is where he worked," Cloud murmured, his voice quiet in this enclosed space. "When I started living with him, it was after he got laid off. He's been a mechanic for so long… it's just hard to imagine."

Sephiroth waited by the door as Cloud moved in. It was his moment. "And what about you? You also weren't a mechanic your entire life, from what I understand."

The only response, for a long time, were the sounds of Cloud poking around in his Uncle's old space. He shuffled objects around in the bookshelves and opened the desk drawers with more whining, grating noises. Cloud pulled something out of a drawer and turned it over in his hands, inspecting it. "I worked in Nibelheim at the local grocery store. When I was 18, I came to Midgar to try to join ShinRa's army. What became the infantry, I guess. I failed the exam. Been with Cid ever since."

Sephiroth's bright eyes studied Cloud intensely. He watched as Cloud checked once more in the drawers, then moved back towards him. He had something in his hand that he slid into his deep suit pants pocket.

"And this was ten years ago."

"Yeah." Cloud picked his way over the crap in the doorway. "SOLDIER was announced publicly a few months afterward, with all the fanfare about you… fifteen years old. If I failed to get into the regular army I  _definitely_ would have failed SOLDIER, so I didn't ry. It was a week after Cid got cut, so I found him. Eventually we set up the shop."

Sephiroth had many questions, but it was not any of his business, nor his place to ask.

"Let's get out of here."

The trip back out of the department was just as eerie as the trip in. Their footsteps echoed, surrounded by emptiness and nearly complete darkness. Cloud swept his light in great arcs, looking at the murals and posters on the ceiling and walls.

"It sounds nice," Cloud said. "I guess it wasn't meant to be."

"Space?"

"Yeah. Imagine… humans on another planet, or… us flying in a rocket to see what's out there. You believe in aliens?"

"Humph."

Cloud's wiggling fingers suddenly poked at Sephiroth's sides. If he had been trying to scare or spook Sephiroth, he was not successful. "It doesn't worry you—life out there?"

"I think we should be more concerned with the evil on this planet, but space does indeed hold a great deal of… intrigue, I admit."

Cloud had touched him first, giving Sephiroth an opening to touch him in return. When Cloud climbed over another fallen cabinet Sephiroth placed his hand on the small of his back, stroking an intimate little path there with his thumb.

"Good boy," he purred when Cloud pressed closer to his side.

"Did you just…?"

Sephiroth nearly choked on his own spit. "Sorry," he apologized, "That just slipped out."

The mechanic laughed at him. When they were back in the hallway, with Space Exploration sealed up behind them and abandoned once more, Cloud peeled off his suit jacket. "We're  _covered_ in dust," he noted. They both did look a little gray, Sephiroth agreed. He looked down, dusted off his suit jacket, and pulled at his collar. The tie was now  _really_ crooked.

"Forget the fuckin' tie," Cloud growled, and ripped it right off his neck. The force of it actually caused Sephiroth to stoop a little bit, his face drawing close to his new friend's.

Cloud smirked at him.

"We're nowhere near that ridiculous event. There's no need for us to conform to what they want when we're alone."

"…You're right."

Cloud nodded. He hung his suit jacket over his arm and unbuttoned the stiff white button-up underneath, revealing a white tank top. The only times Sephiroth walked through the Tower in any state of undress was when he was returning from a mission and part of his uniform was destroyed.

It was… surprisingly fun to muss up his formal attire with Cloud Strife. He rolled his shirt sleeves up to his elbows, undid the top two buttons, and hung his tie loosely over his shoulders. He could breathe properly again. Then, with Cloud watching, he committed one of the most offensive fashion crimes out there, according to Genesis: he looped the sleeves of his suit jacket around his waist and tied them together. Cloud nodded approvingly.

"Now what?"

"Is there something else you would like to see? If not, Zack, Genesis and Angeal want to see you at some point."

Sephiroth waited for Cloud's response. That was it… if Cloud agreed to meeting them, the rest of their night would be put in motion.

"I want to see them," Cloud answered, brushing dust out of Sephiroth's hair with a few haphazard whacks. "But I kind of would prefer to spend some more time with you first."

_He wants to be sure of his decision,_ Sephiroth thought.

"Of course. Would you like to see some of the infantry facilities?"

Their eyes met. Cloud really did have a piercing stare.

"…Yeah. It's been enough years. I think I want to see what I missed out on."

They boarded the elevator in the right direction. Cloud started to wring his hands, his knuckles

white with force. Their destination was the fourteenth floor. At floor sixteen, Cloud said loudly, "Sephiroth, stop the elevator."

Sephiroth scanned his ID, and overrode the controls. It stopped.

"I don't want to go," Cloud gasped, utterly breathless. "I—some other time; I just can't right now, after everything else tonight—"

Sephiroth stroked his hand down Cloud's tense spine. "Breathe," he soothed, and redirected their course. As they rode back up Cloud seemed to calm. The hyperventilating subsided, and he leant against the side of the elevator, his cheek pressed to the cool glass. He didn't ask where they were going.

When they eventually entered Sephiroth's office the General tossed his coat uncaringly onto the chair. He moved past it to a glass door. He gestured Cloud outside onto a small balcony.

"…This is nice," Cloud murmured, staring all the way down at Midgar.

"The smog is disgusting, and twice people have climbed onto this balcony in attempts to assassinate me. …I do like it, though."

Cloud sat on the ground, sticking his legs through the gaps in the metal. Sephiroth did the same.

"I haven't been this high up since I was in Nibelheim."

The smog this night wasn't as bad as other nights. The bright green glow of Mako was undeniably poisonous, but he'd lived in Midgar for long enough that it was comforting. Cloud looked lovely in its light. Shadows cut sharp across his cheekbones and jaw, with soft, muted greens filling in the spaces between. The man watched him. His pretty lips were gently parted, and then pressed together as he thought about something.

"Sephiroth," Cloud murmured. "I want to know more about your relationship, and how this works."

The reminder of his boyfriends startled Sephiroth. His PHS had several messages in the group chat with them, wondering where he was. They'd shown up to the Innovation event and neither of them were present.

_We're bonding,_ Sephiroth replied, smiling faintly at the small device.  _We snuck away from the party. See you all soon._

"Genesis and Angeal have been dating since they were seventeen," he offered as he slid the device back into his pants pocket. "We all became some awkward, fumbling mess of a threesome two years later. Zack joined us four years ago. At first he was in a similar situation as you, I suppose—a casual 'hookup,' because the three of us liked him quite a bit."

"Is this a common thing?"

"No. The four of us have only slept with a new person three times. The last was almost a year ago."

"Why do you do it?"

"Because we aren't jealous people. If all of us are attracted to someone, and we want to do that with them, we will. Together, though."

"And afterward?" Cloud had shifted, casting the majority of his face into shadow. His golden hair looked eerie bathed in a mako glow.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. "We have no intention of using you, Cloud. Zack's initial affection for you seems genuine. He wants to be your friend. We have remained close with our partners, for the most part." Cloud waited for him to elaborate.

"The last time we did this, a man—a SOLDIER—overstepped many boundaries afterward. He became clingy and invasive, calling me and seeking me out in public…" Sephiroth trailed off. He sighed heavily and glanced at his feet, dangling so high above the city. He wanted to jump, but doubted Cloud would handle the appearance of his other limb very well.

"He was under the impression that the five of us should be in a relationship, but delusionally so, and aggressive in the way he went about trying to convince us—but mostly me." He kicked his feet gently, looking uncharacteristically childish. "Occasionally the others make jokes about this incident, like it's funny now that so much time has passed. …I disagree."

Cloud's warm, heavy hand cupped his forearm. "That doesn't sound funny."

"It wasn't," Sephiroth answered dully, eyes unfocused.

"So you guys aren't interested in adding anyone else in."

Sephiroth looked over; Cloud was avoiding his gaze.

"I didn't say that. He was not the right fit, no matter how he felt about it."

"Huh."

Sephiroth considered his new friend. Cloud sat stiffly and stared at his own feet. "…Cloud," he said gently. "Forgive us if you have been given misinformation. If you are uncomfortable with casual sex or don't want us bothering you, we want you to tell us 'no'."

"That's not it," Cloud sighed. "I'm fine with casual sex. I'm looking forward to it, actually. I guess I just… don't get it. Hard to believe who's askin', you know?"

"I suppose."

"I don't think you do. It's so strange… I  _hated_ you, Sephiroth. For the longest time. Years."

Cloud's posture had not gone defensive or stiff. He did not expect Sephiroth to react, but to listen. The General tried to.

"I was 18 when I failed to get into ShinRa." Cloud wrapped his hands around the thin bars, and spoke out into the smog. "I did well enough on the physical test, I guess. But I failed the psych exam." Cloud let out a slow exhale. "My anxiety, mostly. They also said I wasn't assertive enough, or confident enough to take leadership of a squad someday. I can kill a monster no problem, but to think I failed because I don't do well in crowds, or my people skills…"

Sephiroth listened closely. Personally, he felt Cloud was better at the  _interactions_ thing than him. Then again, he was too much of an investment to give up on because he couldn't give a good speech or panicked in a mako tube.

"And then, just a month or two after my dream died and I contacted my Uncle Cid about what to do, there you were, on TV, the first member of SOLDIER, and three years younger than me… I guess I needed to take my anger out on someone."

There was nothing Sephiroth could do now about it, nor in the past, so he didn't bother apologizing. "Would my presence tonight make you uncomfortable?"

"No," Cloud said immediately, and with such conviction Sephiroth had no choice but to believe him. "I'm over that. It's actually nice seein' how wrong I was. I spent so much time hating your guts over the years I kind of feel like I know you." He snorted. "Though, seriously. It's good to meet the real you."

"And it is good to meet you, Cloud. I admit, I wasn't sure what to expect when Zack said he had a crush. I am happy."

Cloud snorted again, rubbing the back of his neck. "He doesn't have a crush on me."

"Don't spread lies about my boyfriend," Sephiroth said, putting a touch of his General authority into his voice. Like he wanted, Cloud laughed at him, leaning back on his hands.

"…Thanks for this, Sephiroth." His voice came out so  _warmly_ —it was so unreal, and it happened so  _rarely_ —he was connecting with someone. And so soon after their initial meeting, too…

Sephiroth unquestionably wanted him. A small, possessive part of him wanted to keep Cloud, too—have more of these amazing nights, where he felt five years younger and went on an adventure (though one unfunded by ShinRa, and not in a monster-ridden cave). He wanted Cloud to be  _his_ friend—not just Zack or Genesis or Angeal's friend that he tolerated, like so many others. "You're welcome," Sephiroth answered, because he wasn't sure what else to say, or if he could even convey himself right.

The blond man's eyes had gone from warm to hot. He leant back on his hands a little more and cocked his neck at him, coy. "We should probably get back to the others. They're going to think we snuck off to make out, or something."

"…Right." Sephiroth blinked slowly and resisted the urge to shake his head. His thoughts were chasing distracting circles around each other. He pulled out his PHS.

"Maybe we did?"

Sephiroth's thumb stilled in the middle of his message. He processed Cloud's words for a moment. He then closed the device, and placed it safely on the ground, far away from the edge. He looked up.

Cloud scooted his ass back until he could remove his legs from between the metal bars, walked on his knees a few feet over to Sephiroth, and grabbed both ends of his tie, still hanging around his shoulders. He pulled on it and yanked Sephiroth in for what he knew would be the first of many kisses that night.

The initial exploration, despite the harsh—and Gaia-damned  _sexy_ —way Cloud dragged him forward, was almost…sweet. Cloud kept his hold on the tie, keeping Sephiroth close. There was warmth, from the chest pressed to his, and such unbelievable gentleness in the push of his lips. Wisdom too, of a sort Sephiroth was unused to.

For most of the night it felt hard to believe Cloud was older than him, but Sephiroth felt it now, as one hand abandoned the tie and moved to cup his cheek. He was a thoughtful person, and his every move (even here!) spoke of experience, and like he was trying to take care of Sephiroth.

Care was something Sephiroth appreciated very much. It made no sense getting any from a stranger like this. He got it anyway.

He growled in his throat, suddenly needing to claim this man, to make him groan and lose the disaffected cool he'd kept the entire evening, with a few understandable exceptions. Their lips locked; Cloud let out an amused hum in response, and nipped at his bottom lip.

Sephiroth surged to the side, wanting to spread Cloud out on the concrete, see that suit hang off him—

" _Ow,"_ he said instead.

He'd forgotten his legs were still dangling over the edge of the Tower. Gingerly, and with Cloud letting out happy laughter beside him, Sephiroth disentangled his legs. Cloud sat on his rear and raised his arms in greeting as Sephiroth approached on his knees. The General's heart was racing, and it was unreal. The hands that fell to Cloud's waist and the side of his head trembled with the force of whatever it was he was feeling, and the anticipation. He and his boyfriends were going to have a  _marvelous_ time together with this man tonight, he knew it already.

Their mouths met again. Cloud's was still in the shape of a smile for a few moments. The gentle kisses from before gave way to an insistent, desperate sort now. Cloud's hand stroked the nape of his neck and Sephiroth purred his contentment. The blond's tongue swiped at his bruised lower lip and Sephiroth let him in. Cloud let out a soft gasp as their tongues brushed and Sephiroth was nearly overcome with the hot, burning  _need_  for Cloud he'd felt building all evening.

He tipped the blond backwards, like he'd wanted to do earlier. Cloud looked damn good like that, but most of the playful tickle of his hair against his cheeks was gone. Sephiroth spent no time mourning the loss, crouched with one knee beside Cloud's hips, and his lips and tongue aggressively taking over the pace of their kiss. And Cloud loved it—he arched under Sephiroth, and the SOLDIER could feel the force of this man's own erratic heartbeat against his ribcage. His hands were cradling Sephiroth's face like he was holding something important and precious.  _Planet_ , Sephiroth wanted to fuck him.

Except—no, he could not… not after what happened last time, a little less than a year ago.

He ripped his mouth away from Cloud's, and the blond man merely attached himself to his jaw. The weak pain of Cloud sucking the skin there between his teeth made Sephiroth groan and clench his eyes shut as he attempted to focus.

"I must tell you something," he ground out.

Cloud backed off. He let his head gently rest back on the ground. His eyes were tinged with green, even, from the city; he would have been gorgeous as a SOLDIER.

Sephiroth pressed their foreheads together and spoke against his mouth. "I cannot penetrate you tonight, if that is something you were wanting. I—won't. It's not something I'm able to give any longer to anyone but my partners. Is that okay?"

"Absolutely," Cloud said, his voice firm; Sephiroth believed him. It sounded like Cloud had a guess as to why he was unwilling to offer that experiene, but did not ask.

"Zack has been nervous about this all week. It's unlike him, and he doesn't know how to deal with it. Be gentle with him."

"…I will," Cloud murmured, sounding awed.

"Alright." Sephiroth waited, and Cloud kissed him again, but with the softness of earlier, close-mouthed and tender. "Anything else you need or want to know is better answered by the others. We should go, it's getting late."

"We should."

They continued to kiss for another minute or so though, easy, gentle slides of wet lips and tongue. Cloud's hands had coasted down a bit, resting on the slope of his neck. Somehow, and this was astounding—Sephiroth didn't feel claustrophobic at all.

He stood, and offered his hand. This time, Cloud accepted, and Sephiroth hauled him to his feet.

"I'll message them to let them know we're on our way."

Cloud straightened out his haphazard, still-dusty, and now rumpled suit. He grinned. "Let's mosey," he said, and strutted back into the building.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is long, compared to the others, and they won't all be nearly this lengthy (just to soothe any worries). I decided to work on this excellent prompt to begin with because I wanted to practice my smut writing some more. There's more of that to come too, knowing these silly poly boys...

 

In the years after being rejected from ShinRa's military, Cloud re-imagined the company, and its iconic Tower, as Villain and Evil Lair. Well, he didn't have to use his imagination to see all the ways ShinRa was a greedy, awful, planet-ruining blight. Still, it had helped quite a bit.

The only feasible explanation for the company not taking him in was that he was far too good for them to begin with, Cloud had tried to convince himself. That's what his uncle told him at least, in various ways and at every opportunity. If they were unwilling to work with him on his anxiety, it meant they were uncaring bastards. If they couldn't see the potential in him, then they were ignorant. And if they were the type to abandon his brilliant Uncle Cid, well… it was plain they were in the wrong, no doubt about it.

So ShinRa's people became faceless beings of darkness and the Tower a place haunted by the shrieks of the damned.

Some of his ideas had been kind of right. The stupid Innovation Community Thing, his first time on the premises since he'd walked away biting back curses and tears as a teenager, was some ridiculous, degrading shit.

A few people in the elevator, giggling and carrying on until they noticed the silver-haired man pressed to Cloud's side, were from the event. Cloud recognized one woman; she'd checked him in to the event, and assured him that he would have a good time.

He hadn't—at least, not until after he left with Sephiroth at his heels.

He'd expected as much. While there were some folks present who seemed genuinely interested in Fenrir, most of the night had consisted of rich, powerful people looking down their noses at the (supposed) slum rats.  _How_ _darling_ _, they_ _dare_ _to create something useful down there. Adorable!_

It made him sick, and wounded his pride. Cid refused to come, and Cloud privately thought he'd been right not to join. The halls were cold and the surfaces hard and artificial, unnatural.  _Evil_.

Space Exploration was the perfect example of ShinRa's cruelty. So many people had worked there, and had depended on that income… and they got kicked out a day after the rocket failed. Seeing where they used to work, utterly neglected, sealed off and forgotten, like the glorious things Cid oversaw back in his day were shameful secrets…

…It had sucked. But even though Cloud still didn't  _like_  ShinRa, and he doubted he'd ever fully come to terms with his own failure here, he nevertheless did a lot of renegotiating those ideas he'd held in the past two weeks, ever since Zack Fair had shown up in front of  _Highwind Auto_  with the saddest bike Cloud had seen in a long while.

The night of the party in particular Cloud already had been forced to confront some of his hangups, and form new opinions. It was never easy.

Genesis Rhapsodos' apartment, he had found, was the opposite of the cold, metallic décor and unwelcoming atmosphere he'd expected, and found elsewhere in the building. It had soft lighting, softer couches, and kind inhabitants with warm smiles.

"Where the hell  _were_ you two?" Genesis asked him and Sephiroth, accepting Cloud's jacket as he handed it over. Sephiroth's was still in his office, slung over the chair.

Cloud cracked a grin at SOLDIER's General. A small thrill went through him at the memory of their excursion that night. It looked like Sephiroth still had some dust in his hair, and his pants were still streaked with it. Angeal and Zack looked curious as well, also seated with them in Genesis' living room. Two couches and a few chairs circled around a wide coffee table in the middle. All five of them were still in their suits worn to tonight's event, though in varying stages of removal; Zack and Genesis were still dressed to the nines, but Angeal had his coat off and his undershirt unbuttoned, much like Cloud.

"We checked out Space Exploration," he answered easily. It wasn't a secret. Cloud settled into the couch and watched as Genesis hung his jacket up on the coat rack by the door.

Zack crossed his arms. "Uh, isn't that, like, off-limits?"

"Not to me," Sephiroth answered. He was in a chair and looked relaxed. His eyes met Cloud's, soft and indulgent. His lips still looked swollen from earlier.

For a moment, Cloud froze, because holy fuck  _what was he doing here this was really happening—_

Then the couch dipped a bit as Genesis settled in beside him, and the redhead asked, "What was it like? Can someone get beers and wine, please?"

Zack nearly tripped over his own feet in his haste to be useful (or maybe retreat from the room) — Cloud couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't be nervous," Genesis murmured behind him. His fingers closed around Cloud's wrist and rubbed gently; when he retreated, he took Cloud's stress with him. "Tell us about it, dear."

"It was spooky," Cloud decided on. He glanced at Sephiroth for confirmation and the man nodded with a rumbling chuckle. "ShinRa just… abandoned it. They only had a day to get out, you know? So all their stuff… it's just sitting there, under all this dust."

Angeal, on the opposite couch, was looking sinful today with his hair slicked back. He raked a hand through it, looking irritated as it caught on his fingers, full as it was with gel or some other product. "Looks like you took half of it back with you."

Sephiroth answered, "I tried to brush some of it off him. It's clear a job in housekeeping isn't in my future."

Zack came back into the room with an armful of drinks, and gave the first one to Angeal, along with a peck to the temple. " _That's_ what you were doing?" Cloud asked, putting fake wonder into his voice, "I thought you were trying to kiss me."

Sephiroth's eyes flashed with heat again, a brief look for him alone. Zack nearly fumbled the last two drinks in his hands. He held them out, making Cloud look up.

"I didn't know if you wanted beer or wine, so I got both," he said. "Which one do you want?"

Cloud placed his palms on the back of Zack's hands. The SOLDIER still looked so damn nervous. He wasn't good at reassuring people, but he tried to smile. Zack's tense frown smoothed out, and after a heartbeat, spread into a goofy, crooked smile of his own. "I'll have both," Cloud murmured.

Eyes curving, Zack laughed. "Good idea," he said. Cloud took the two drinks and Zack sat back down next to Angeal. The other SOLDIER put his arm around Zack's shoulders and Cloud couldn't help but feel a rush of fondness at the sight. They were—they  _all_ were—really damn cute together.

He decided to go for the wine first. Genesis thankfully salvaged the thread of conversation. "I've always thought about sneaking in there on a rainy day. You think it's worth it?"

"Nah." Cloud reached in his bulging pocket and pulled out what he'd rescued from Cid's old desk. He placed it on the table. "There's not much there. I got this, though."

It was an old, scratched nameplate.  _Cid Highwind,_ it read,  _Chief Engineer of the ShinRa Electric and Power Company Space Exploration Program._ Cloud could imagine it sitting on that ancient and decrepit desk, now covered in rat shit and dirt but once greeting visitors proudly. Everyone else was studying it, and him, so Cloud took a steadying breath and murmured, "Uncle Cid's tried so hard to forget his time at ShinRa… and even though ten years have passed I know he still thinks about it all the time. I don't want him to forget entirely. He did amazing stuff in his day."

Zack leant forward, bracing his forearms on his knees. His face was screwed up in understanding. "I looked him up. Saw some pictures of his prototype rockets, and stuff. It was amazing."

"Yeah." Cloud nodded slowly, tapping his thumb against the object. "I don't think he'll ever manage to brush it all off, but I grabbed it just in case. It's hard to, when your dreams get crushed like that…"

Cloud trailed off. He sat a little straighter when Sephiroth stared him down, his expression concerned.

"Cloud…"

True, maybe he shouldn't have so obviously led the other three on with a sentence like that—they were looking at him too, waiting for him to elaborate on the melancholy way he'd spoken.

Cloud drained his wine glass in one go. He placed it gently on the table and turned to his beer, picking it up and turning it in his hands nervously as he thought about what to say. They were in so deep already; it was unlikely anything he said now would change their opinion of him enough to warrant calling this off. That didn't mean he was keen to share this information, though.

"In the interest of being truthful and open and all, since I'm here to sleep with you and everything," Cloud began, staring at a piece of art Genesis hung on the far wall, "I applied for ShinRa's military when I was eighteen. Didn't get in. It's why I'm in Midgar at all, and not still home in Nibelheim. It's… a little weird bein' in the Tower after all this time, I'll admit."

Angeal spoke first. When the man showed up at the autoshop with flowers Cloud had been freaked out, but it quickly became clear Angeal was an incredibly kind and down-to-Gaia man. Cloud was looking forward to being with him later. "We would have enjoyed having you in SOLDIER, Cloud."

Genesis looked just as disappointed. Cloud had underestimated him, after his first impression, thinking Genesis was some sort of callous, judgy person. "Sephiroth told me about your swords on the way in," he murmured, touching Cloud again. This time it was a gentle touch to the back of his hand. Cloud shifted his fingers slightly, and Genesis laced theirs together. "It sounds like ShinRa missed a wonderful opportunity."

Zack was one of the most empathetic people Cloud had ever met. His expression made it clear he was heartbroken for Cloud. "What happened?" he asked.

"Zack," Sephiroth murmured, his tone disapproving.

"It's okay." Cloud shook his head. He'd originally had no plans to reveal his secrets to anyone, least of all  _Sephiroth,_ who had come to be the face of Evil ShinRa and all it stood for in his mind… but he had, and it had been a surprisingly… therapeutic experience. And to think he had learned a little bit about the Silver General too, to think he wasn't perfect either… it helped.

"I failed the psych exam in particular," he said delicately, "due to some mental health stuff." There wasn't anything to be ashamed about though, he'd learned—it was nothing he could help; it was how his brain worked. He sat straighter and met Zack's eyes, his own blazing with stubbornness.

"I can fight but some of the other military stuff—especially what the infantry goes through, drills, regulations, the procedures—isn't for me. It fucked me up for a lot of years but now I'm doin' stuff that I like, which is important."

"It is," Zack agreed, grinning at him. "You think you wanna work on bikes forever?"

"Maybe. So long as I can occasionally get out and ride them."

"We saw your bike, by the way," Angeal said. "It's unbelievable."

"Thanks," Cloud muttered, scratching his cheek.

Genesis scolded from behind him, "Don't be humble." Their hands were still held, and he'd shifted a bit closer, so they were almost touching. "You should be proud. I'm ignorant to motorcycles and even my jaw was on the ground."

Cloud twisted his neck to peer over at Genesis. "You're just trying to butter me up."

Genesis was encouraged by his coy smile, just like Cloud wanted, and closed the remaining space between them. He tucked himself against Cloud's back, warm and broad, and wound his free arm around his waist. The blond nestled back a bit until he was comfortable, with Genesis resting his chin on his shoulder. "Surely not," the SOLDIER countered, the smoothness of his voice threatening to make Cloud shiver. "Art deserves its due praise, is all."

Cloud laughed loudly. Fenrir was an extension of himself, and the culmination of years and years of work, his dream realized… but not  _art_.

"Alright," Genesis conceded, with a brief, playful squeeze. "My original statement stands, but maybe I am trying to 'butter you up' a little bit too."

Smirking, Cloud glanced at the other three. They were all watching with avid interest. Seeing how they looked together, perhaps. "There's no need," Cloud reassured them all. "Trust me—I'm into this."

"We should talk about this," Angeal said. He rolled his neck on his shoulders and fixed everyone with a no-nonsense look. Angeal came into  _Highwind Auto_ that day looking for answers, and was concerned about his partners. Cloud could definitely appreciate that sort of take-charge attitude. "Just so everyone can consent plainly—we  _are_ all okay with sex tonight, right?"

Angeal did not continue until he got a nod from everyone in the room. "That sounds kind of callous, and unsexy. Cloud—you understand we don't do this often, right?"

"Yeah. And I know what happened the last time you did this." He glanced at Sephiroth. "No worries."

Genesis hummed behind him and pulled him even closer. His soft cock gently pressed against the curve of his ass through his dress pants. He tried not to focus on it too much—they were having a serious conversation.

"I'm still a little confused—as to how this happened at all. I'm just some mechanic. Never thought I'd end up talking to a SOLDIER First, let alone…"

"Hey, don't say that," Zack interjected, frowning at him. "You're great, Spike. I dunno—when I first saw you I felt something click, you know?" Zack looked around at the others and twisted his mouth, embarrassed to be saying all this out loud in front of them. "You're funny and you're hot as hell—and I think what you do is really cool. Hell, I'm  _over_ SOLDIERs, after the last guy. I say  _I'm_ the lucky guy here."

Zack folded his arms after his little speech and gave Cloud a flat look, daring him to disagree. Sephiroth's words came back to him, about Zack having a crush… and going easy on him.

"Sorry," sighed Cloud. "I didn't mean… to be self-pitying, or anything. I meant that while it's still surprising… I trust your judgement. If you four wanna fuck me so bad, hey," he shrugged, with slightly-forced cockiness, "Who am I to doubt you?"

Sephiroth nodded approvingly at him. He looked so regal in his chair. Even in the darkness of Space Exploration or on that balcony Sephiroth seemed unruffled and perfect. The memory of him fruitlessly struggling with his tie returned to him though, where Sephiroth had felt like he could hardly breathe with it around his neck… not even his old enemy was infallible. "Have you been with more than one partner at once before, Cloud?"

Shit. "Uh, no," he admitted. Genesis hummed into his ear and nuzzled his face into Cloud's neck. Right, they weren't judging him. "Never had an audience before either."

"I think you'll enjoy that part," Zack quipped, winking at him. "Except sometimes Gen gets this really dopey look on his face if he's watching someone fuck, it's hilarious—"

"Zackary," Genesis growled. He was laughing, though; Cloud felt the rumble of it against his back.

"I'm sure I'll enjoy myself. Once I wrapped my head around the four people at once thing, it sounded fun."

Angeal's eyebrows drew together sternly. "You're not doing this for the novelty, are you?"

Cloud met his gaze as fiercely as he had back at that burger joint. "I won't lie. This is a once in a lifetime thing for me, and I don't want to pass it up. But I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't honestly like you guys… even if I've only met most of you once." His lips turned up into a small smile. "Angeal. I told you I don't appreciate being toyed with; I assumed you expect the same."

Angeal nodded. "We do."

Genesis kissed Cloud's ear, making the mechanic's eyes go wide. "Is the heavy shit all covered for now? I want to relax."

"We should be good," Zack grinned.

From there, conversation switched to light, easy things. A recent mission where something funny happened. What Angeal, Genesis and Zack had gotten up to while Sephiroth and Cloud were wandering the Tower (a whole lot of trouble, it sounded like). All of the horrible tirades Cid had against asshole customers in the past. Cloud laughed—he laughed a  _lot_. Genesis' hand started stroking the skin of his sides and stomach, pushing up underneath his tank top. Occasionally his hand would curl over Cloud's belt buckle. He liked to tease; Cloud could tell already.

Sephiroth and Angeal slowly shed more and more of their suits. Sephiroth seemed relieved to have it off him, where Angeal just seemed like he hated clothes. It was fine with Cloud, his arms looked damn good in the t-shirt he wore under it all anyway.

Cloud asked a few questions about how their relationship worked, and the kinds of things they usually did together. Proper dates were difficult to schedule, he found out, as each of them had one free day a week, and they didn't always overlap. They got their time in together when they could.

They were… sweet, Cloud concluded. Big, lethal, intimating SOLDIERs who through trial-and-error figured out how to make a relationship between the four of them work with extremely few role models or examples to work with.

He was lucky—and glad—to be part of it, even if it was just for one night.

When Zack went into the kitchen to get another beer, Cloud attempted to follow. Genesis tugged him back down, though, sending Cloud off-balance and making him flail for a moment.

"You're leaving me already?"

His face confirmed the pout Cloud heard in his voice. Genesis' eyes sparkled with mischief. Cloud hoped it wasn't too forward but didn't worry too much about it—he tilted his head and followed that pretty smirk all the way in until his own mouth pressed against the softness of it.

It was a quick kiss, but thorough. Cloud withdrew with a quiet 'pop' and stood again. This time, Genesis let him go. "I'll be back," he promised, and went after Zack.

The younger man jumped when he turned around and spotted Cloud. "—Hey!" he greeted with a wide grin. "You want another drink too? I would've gotten it for you, there's no need to get up. Gen looked pretty happy with you sitting on him."

Cloud shook his head. Zack was so fucking cute. "I wanted to get you alone, I guess."

"Oh." Zack bumped the fridge door shut with his hip. "Uh, okay."

Cloud moved into Zack's space with a gentle smile. At a soft touch from him Zack put his beer on the counter. It was fancy granite, and the whole apartment looked expensive as shit, actually, but he didn't linger on it. The man in front of him was far more interesting.

"Why are you so nervous?" Cloud asked. He brought a hand to the nape of Zack's neck and pushed it up into the mass of his spiky hair. He used his fingernails and Zack gave a small shiver.

"I'm not  _that_ nervous…" Zack said, then grinned at him. So fucking  _cute_. "Just a little nervous."

"But why? I'm just… me. Is there anything I can do?"

"Nah. And I dunno—it's just…" Zack frowned, even as his hands fell to Cloud's waist. "You're really fucking cool. And… I guess I just expected to have this pathetic crush on this super hot mechanic and that would be it, you know? But my boyfriends are the best guys ever and met you for me… and here you are. It happened so quickly I guess it's hard to believe."

Cloud grunted to show he was listening. Zack continued, "And I guess I'm a little worried. This  _is_ really soon. I know you said you're cool with casual sex and all, but I just wanna check."

Cloud spoke as honestly as he could. "It's a little weird… but not so much I'm turned off." Zack looked glum, so Cloud cupped his cheek. Zack had such nice cheekbones, and pretty mako eyes… he'd spent a lot of time looking at his own and trying to think about what they'd look like. "We can work on becoming real friends afterward."

"Yeah?" Zack looked pleased. "You'd like that?"

"Sure. I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

"Good." Zack's cheeks were slightly pink, and he looked to the side. "'Cause, I dunno about you, but I kind of feel like—we were friends in another universe or something, you know? Like you're destined to be my bud. Sorry—is this weird coming from someone so much younger than you?"

Cloud couldn't help but laugh. "Is this what you're so nervous about? My age?"

"No!" Zack swore, but he was blushing even more. "Maybe just a little! You're like, way out of my league, okay."

That was the most ridiculous thing Cloud had heard in a long time. "What? Every SOLDIER I've ever met in Midgar seems to think their eyes give them access to anyone they want. They're such assholes. You're not like that, Zack."

The SOLDIER attempted a confident, flirty wink. "I've heard I don't fit in more than a few times."

Cloud used the hand still on the side of Zack's face to start guiding him down. "Yeah? And what do you think?"

"I think… I'm happy belonging to wherever my boyfriends are. And that I set my own rules."

Cloud liked that answer. He lived by a similar code these days—live on your own terms. He showed his approval in the warm smile his lips formed against Zack's. The man was stupidly tall and Cloud bit back a noise of amusement as Zack shifted so he could comfortably reach him without straining his neck.

Cloud's other hand moved from the back of Zack's head to his tie; he gripped it gently, not enough to choke but enough to let Zack know Cloud wasn't going to let him go easily. He'd never had to reassure a skittish or anxious partner before. Cloud was confident in bed and was attracted to the same.

His tongue swiped at the seam of Zack's mouth with infinite care, and when he was accepted inside he explored with a kind of gentle thoroughness he hadn't practiced in a long time. It was damn good. Zack sucked in a sharp breath through his nose as their tongues brushed.  _I like you, and we're going to enjoy this_ , he told him in the careful licks to the backs of his teeth and the tender way he kissed his bottom lip.

When they drew away Zack's pupils were blown wide and both of them were panting. Cloud wanted to pat himself on the back for a job well done.

Just beneath his belly button Cloud could tell Zack's cock was stirring as well. He gently thrust his hips forward, giving it some stimulation.

"…I think I'll drink this later," Zack said lightly. He put his can back in the fridge. "More interesting things to do."

"Like what? Sephiroth said something about taxes..."

"Are you kidding? I got a new game last week that I haven't gotten to play yet. I'm planning on playing until I pass out 'round three in the morning—screw you guys."

They both cracked up. Cloud punched Zack's shoulder and continued the charade. "You'd leave me to their mercy?"

"Pfft. You saying you don't wanna do taxes with Seph? I  _guess_ you could watch, if you really wanted." Zack grinned and held up one finger. He'd seen Aerith from Sector 4 do the same thing.

"It could be a date!"

The goofy, cheeky flirt made Cloud's heart skip a beat. "Yeah," he croaked, "I'd like that."

The two men eyed each other. "C'mon," Zack said after a tense moment. He nodded his head towards the living room.

When they returned, Genesis claimed he was missing Zack terribly. It was a poorly-masked trick to get Cloud to sit with Angeal this time, but he didn't mind. He took Zack's old spot and squashed himself right against Angeal's side, saving them all the trouble of doing this in a subtle, respectful way again. Cloud threw his leg over Angeal's thighs. "Hey."

"Hiya," Angeal greeted, his eyes intense and so damn blue, and kissed him.

At first Cloud squirmed, trying to get his hands under Angeal's shirt and pet him the way Angeal's warm, wide hands were petting him. Angeal gently brushed him away though, first once and then again, until Cloud realized he was supposed to sit back and enjoy the pleasure Angeal was offering.

The man was unreal. His insistent mouth stole the breath from Cloud's lungs, leaving him gasping. He sucked at the point on Cloud's neck that made him buck his hips. He gently tipped Cloud back on the couch and moved on top of him, undoing his belt. Cloud was not a loud lover, but he couldn't bite back the breathy groan that escaped as Angeal's hand found his dick, carefully coaxing him into hardness with firm strokes.

Cloud peeked open his eyes, not quite sure when he closed them. It was weird, having people watch, but not unpleasant. The smug smile on Genesis' face was irritating, though.

"You planned this," he growled at the redhead.

The shit-eating smile grew. "Maybe I did," he said airily. He liked when Cloud challenged him—that much was clear from their first meeting at the garage. "Angeal's good at the 'irresistible' thing, isn't he?"

Angeal gave a low chuckle against Cloud's collarbone, and swirled his thumb around the head of his cock. " _I'll say_ ," Cloud tried to sass back, but it came out as a gasp.

Angeal kissed his way back to his mouth, inverting Cloud's senses again once he was there. The last peck he gave was almost chaste.

"We're going to take good care of you," the SOLDIER told him. "We don't want to overwhelm you with there being four of us."

"I'll say something if I'm uncomfortable," Cloud promised. "Let's get this show on the road."

"You heard the man!" Zack called, standing. He grabbed Sephiroth's hand and pulled him out of his chair. That bright green gaze locked on him previously had been half the source of his erection. "Bedroom, c'mon folks."

Angeal adjusted Cloud's pants and nuzzled him briefly before helping him stand. Cloud took a deep breath and followed.

Cloud lost his cool in the doorway to the bedroom. "What the  _hell_ is that?" he asked, his voice rising in pitch.

"Oh,  _dammit_ ," Genesis huffed, throwing up his hands.

Zack joined in with Cloud's laughter, although Cloud's was incredulous. "How did you even get it in the apartment?"

"It wasn't easy," Sephiroth said gravely. He put his hand on Cloud's lower back and gently pushed the blond forward so he could slip into the room.

The bed was so big it was in 'ridiculous' territory. "It belongs in a cartoon," he said, staring. "Do all of you have beds this big?"

"No, just Gen. Do you know how expensive it was?" Angeal looked pained by the memory.

"—He's laughing," Genesis was saying as he shrugged out of his coat. "Why do they always laugh when they see the damn bed?"

Zack snickered and moved towards it. Cloud snagged him as he squeezed by and reeled him in for a kiss. The 'damn bed' took the edge off the nerves that started to bubble up during the relocation. Now he was just horny and in a good mood.

Zack was happy to receive Cloud's affection. He gripped Cloud's thighs and hoisted him up in the air. "Oh  _fuck_ ," Cloud choked as Zack walked with him to the edge of the bed, and then gently dropped him onto it.

"Oh!" Zack looked self-conscious. "Did, uh, did you like that or something?"

"That was hot," Cloud breathed.

"Oh!" Zack said again, sounding very young. Beside him Angeal snorted. The older SOLDIER pulled off his shirt in one smooth motion and tossed it into a hamper in the corner.

"He likes my SOLDIER strength," Zack bragged to the others. He handed his jacket to Sephiroth, who draped it over the dresser. "I can pick you up whenever you want, seriously!" He then started a series of ridiculous flexing poses. "Ungh,  _yeah_. Think I can bust out of my shirt if I flex hard enough?"

Genesis climbed onto the bed next, in just his boxer-briefs and socks. "Shut the  _hell_ up, Zack. And no, I don't think you can do that."

"I could try," Zack frowned—but it was clear he was joking, acting goofy to put everyone's nerves (even his own) to rest. Cloud appreciated it.

"I haven't laughed this much in years," Cloud admitted, letting his head fall back against the mattress. All four of them sent him fond and approving looks.

"There's more where that came from," Zack said, winking at him.

Genesis muttered, "Hell."

Sephiroth walked to the edge of the bed and bent over him. Cloud murmured, "Hello, again," just before their lips met. Sephiroth was so consuming; Cloud could have kissed him out on that balcony all night if they had the time. He slid Cloud's white button-up off his shoulders like the cheap, starchy cotton was silk. He even kissed the freckled curve of one as he tossed the shirt onto the floor. Needless to say, Cloud was seduced.

Beside him, Zack was tugging Angeal's pants off. Genesis was curled up at the top of the bed like a predatory cat, watching everything. "How are we going to know whose clothes are whose?" Angeal asked, frowning as his pants were tossed onto the now-littered floor. Five men in full eveningwear was a lot of clothing, after all—Zack had even worn cute suspenders, which he 'seductively' whacked Angeal with a few times, like a whip.

"If something smells like machinery it's probably mine," Cloud offered, and trailed off with an uncharacteristic giggle as Sephiroth sucked at a ticklish spot under his ear. The General let out an amused sound, and did it again—this time, Cloud managed not to make the ridiculous noise.

"I spilled a bit of cocktail sauce on mine," Genesis confessed. "Those hors d'oeuvres were really miserable."

"They had food?" Sephiroth asked, kissing his way down Cloud's now-bare stomach after he got rid of his tank top, "We didn't get any."

"You two were too busy crawling around in dirt. Don't worry—you didn't miss much."

Sephiroth undid Cloud's pants and Genesis, who was tired of waiting for everybody to disrobe as quickly as he had, crawled down the length of the bed to tug them off. For the moment, everyone still had their underwear on, which was probably a good thing. Genesis belatedly realized he still had his socks on and threw them against the far wall. With that, the five's playful back-and-forth subsided.

Genesis rubbed Cloud's thigh—not quite a chaste thing, but not overtly sexual, either. Comforting. "How do you want to do this?"

Cloud tilted his head, considering all of them. "I'm… not picky," he decided on. "I don't have any preferences for topping or not. But I'm an easy-going guy and usually let my partner take charge. I roll with it."

Cloud could be more dominant if he wanted, or if the mood was right—but it wasn't him. He was pretty down for whatever they could cook up, and if not, he'd tell them.

"Alright." Genesis nodded, his hand now inching up his thigh a little bit. "We'll... play it by ear, then."

Zack was still standing, shifting his weight from foot to foot. His gaze was stuck on Cloud, reclining on the huge bed. Cloud decided—and the others likely guessed as much—that Zack was going to be first. "Come here," the blond told him, and scooted back a bit, making room for Zack to crawl between his legs.

The SOLDIER did, and pressed his handsome face into Cloud's hand. Cloud kissed him hard, pouring out his excitement about this whole thing. Now that there were five mostly-naked men on one hilariously large bed he was horny as hell, and eager to get on with it.

Zack eased onto his back and Cloud moved on top of him. The SOLDIER smiled charmingly at him and Cloud flashed back a smaller, more subdued one—but no less content.

To be perfectly honest, Cloud had been expecting some truly horrific, fucked up, porn-worthy shit.  _Five men_. He anticipated the kind of stuff people always said about orgies, the kind of stuff that would make his mom (and he missed her every day for four years now) roll over in her grave. What he found, however, was something a lot more intimate, a lot more  _fun_ , and a lot more natural than he expected.

Rather than five simultaneously writhing bodies, loud moans echoing off of the walls, and someone in black latex wielding hot wax and a flogger, he got a lot of gentle touches, soft laughter from more terrible jokes and flirts, and a whole lot of smiles—not just from the others, but from him, too.

As Cloud eased Zack out of his underwear and licked long, wet stripes from his balls to the tip of his cock, he was struck by the way the other three weren't even paying them that much attention. They were close by, of course—but this wasn't the intense (and kind of nerve-wracking) spotlight situation he'd anticipated. He glanced over and made eye contact with Angeal, who had glanced over to watch what he was doing, but the man's gaze didn't linger. He was focused on Genesis, and the bruise he was sucking onto his neck. It was good.

And—oh, there was Sephiroth—gentle hands started to ease Cloud's briefs down. He'd worn the multicolored kind with the cute white piping for the occasion, and peeked over his shoulder to see Sephiroth press a careful kiss to the dimple at the base of his spine. He coasted his palms over the curves of Cloud's ass as he pushed them down the rest of the way, and Cloud focused his attention back on Zack even as he lifted his knees at Sephiroth's prods so he could get them off entirely.

Zack Fair looked like he was having a great time. He had one arm folded behind his head and waggled his eyebrows at Cloud when their eyes met. Cloud curled his tongue around the head of his cock and gave a playful, sharp suck—Zack shifted his hips, driving the length of it deeper into his mouth.

"You're so damn pretty," Zack muttered, and so softly that Cloud wondered if he intended anyone other than Zack himself to hear it.

Zack's cock was the real beauty in this situation. Heavy on his tongue and well-shaped, and flushed pink like Zack's cheeks… Cloud was happy to give it some affection. On the other side of the bed Genesis and Angeal were slowly and intimately grinding against each other while wrapped up in a deliciously passionate-looking kiss. Cloud tried to focus on Zack, relaxing his throat as he took more of it down, but his concentration scattered again as Sephiroth growled at him from behind, "Cloud? Are you okay with this?"

Cloud popped off Zack and looked around. Sephiroth had his cheeks spread with his thumbs. The chilled air on that part of him threatened to make Cloud shiver. The SOLDIER stuck out his tongue like he was displaying what color a lollipop had turned it. Cloud nodded hastily and quickly sucked down Zack's dick again to distract from the stubborn blush that started to creep up his neck.

"He might be a bit dusty back there," Genesis called. "Proceed with caution."

Zack laughed, and Cloud sent Genesis a scathing glare. Genesis just seemed more energized at the sight.

The first wet, slightly ticklish swipe of Sephiroth's tongue had Cloud gripping Zack's hip tightly—the fourth, circling with deliberate slowness around his asshole, made Cloud's bobbing rhythm falter—and the fifth, where Sephiroth pushed inside with an unbearable sort of gentleness, had Cloud releasing Zack's slick cock entirely so he could groan, " _Dammit,_ Sephiroth."

That tongue was just as hot as it was wet, too. The sensation of it pressing against him from within made him feel like he could melt; when Sephiroth blew gentle air on him there during a brief break it was freezing in comparison. Then he was back—searingly hot, and so fucking  _good._

He rocked his hips back into Sephiroth's face even as he rolled Zack's balls with his hand. He wasn't here to just accept pleasure—although it seemed like the other four were pretty intent on giving it to him, on  _taking care_ of him, as Angeal had said—so even though the slide of Sephiroth's tongue inside him was deliciously immobilizing he tried to focus, because Zack deserved it.

"That feels good Spike, yeah?"

Zack was petting through Cloud's hair and tugged at one spike in particular. "Yeah," Cloud rasped. "You want?"

"Huh?" Zack blinked at him, and made eye contact with Sephiroth over Cloud's head. Sephiroth moved away and shuffled on his knees over to Angeal and Genesis, who accepted him back with glee.

"Well alright then," Zack said cheerfully. He stretched back out on the bed and hooked a leg over Cloud's shoulder, his heel resting on the curve of his back.

This wasn't something Cloud did often—hell, his last partner had been six months ago, and she hadn't been into it at all, so it was even longer than that—but Cloud was eager to show that he was a capable lover, who was as focused on delivering goodness as he was good about receiving. Not that this act in particular was any sort of prerequisite for being a 'capable lover,' of course—he just wanted to surprise Zack, and let him know that Cloud was damn serious. Zack might be the one with the crush, but Cloud was starting to feel the burn of one in return.

Zack let out a laugh when Cloud pushed his cheeks apart, his thumbs passing through the soft hairs there with purpose. He was such a fun lover, joking with Cloud and considerately shifting his weight when there was too much of it on Cloud's one side. He arched his spine as Cloud's tongue dug into him, and showered Cloud with compliments as the blond reached up to pump his cock.

"You gonna make me come, Cloud?"

"I'm gonna try," Cloud answered once he'd drawn back to lap at his hole again. He put more force into jerking Zack off, the muscles of his right arm tense and hard with the effort. "All I need's a little elbow grease… some enthusiasm…"

"You're doin' a  _fucking good_ job," Zack sighed, unashamed to let Cloud hear it.

All this praise made Cloud's cheeks burn (dammit, he had been trying to look cool here, being the oldest, and all) and he worked his tongue into Zack harder, desperate, hardly able to breathe with his nose pressed so tightly to the underside of his balls but not even caring, because there were more important things at hand.

Then Genesis's voice cut through his aroused haze. "Looks like the mechanic has a variety of skills after all…"

Indignant, Cloud pulled away with one last, regretful lick. Zack was already chuckling at him.

"You," Cloud murmured, crawling over on his hands and knees. Sephiroth and Angeal had been with Genesis previously, kissing and lying with him and gently rubbing hands and legs between thighs, and they moved out of the way as Cloud invaded. "Have been a goddamn asshole all night."

"Yeah?" Genesis tilted his head at him. He was the kind of pretty that needed a good mussing up, in Cloud's opinion. "You want access to it?"

He raised a leg the same way Zack had done, and Cloud couldn't help but laugh. He looked over in time to see Angeal roll his eyes, now lying on his side next to Zack; the younger SOLDIER drew him in for an eager smooch.

"It's the puns," Cloud muttered, but nevertheless hiked that muscled leg up higher and ducked his head. "And that attitude. They make me hate you."

"Good," Genesis answered.

Cloud had been expecting Genesis to be as cold during sex as he seemed to pretend his demeanor was. He'd been expecting a challenge, where Genesis wouldn't make a noise until Cloud fucking ripped it out of him, made him sob with pleasure. The next-eldest man in the room surprised him, however, and immediately began crooning praise as Cloud started to rim him.

He crooked his tongue inside Genesis as best he could and the redhead let out a breathy moan, nothing but encouragement and ego-boosting cries that went straight to Cloud's cock. Although Cloud hated Genesis, he kind of loved him already. Genesis was indulgent, too—he accepted Cloud's ministrations but expected a lot from him. Cloud was more than capable of keeping up.

He felt someone kiss his asscheek. "Cloud," Angeal murmured to him, a hand snaking around to give him some slight relief for his neglected erection. "I have lube. Do you want me to prep you?"

Cloud thought about it. He pressed a chaste peck to Genesis's entrance, now pink and well-loved. "I've got one chance at this," he answered, as coolly as he could, "Might as well get the full experience. Go for it."

"There you go," Genesis murmured, sending Cloud a disarmingly kind smile as Cloud peered up at him. The SOLDIER went easy on him as Angeal's slick fingers started to circle his hole, and scooted down so Cloud could rest some of his weight against his chest. Cloud did gratefully. It was much easier to kiss Genesis's mouth instead anyway, especially as one long, wide finger slid inside him.

The burn was familiar, and the stretch welcome. Where Genesis was an attentive and considerate fuck so was Angeal—he pet his hips and ass with his non-sticky hand, scattering kisses at the base of his spine like Sephiroth had earlier. Cloud pretended to slip to one knee, trying to see what would happen if he moved drastically—the hand that moved to hold him still gripped with an unresistable strength. Angeal was nothing but gentle but Cloud was unable to squirm further. Fucking  _hot_.

It was probably because Genesis's face was two inches away that he could tell both what stunt Cloud pulled and his reaction to it. The man chuckled at him. "He's wonderful, isn't he?"

Cloud nodded wordlessly, his lashes fluttering as Angeal eased in a second finger with all the care in the world. Genesis stroked his thumbs over Cloud's cheekbones, petting them. "Zack and Sephiroth too," Genesis murmured to him.

They looked over. The other two were mostly minding their own business. They looked so damn good, though, and navigated with an ease obviously born from many years together.

Angeal's third finger had Cloud resting his forehead on Genesis's shoulder and unsuccessfully trying to thrust his aching cock against Genesis's, which was pressed against the seam of his thigh. Angeal wouldn't let him.

"Easy, sweetheart," Angeal murmured behind him, dropping another kiss to Cloud's tailbone.

The nickname should have mildly embarrassed Cloud but he didn't give a fuck, really. Genesis raked his hand through Cloud's hair as Angeal finished loosening him up, kissing the top of his head and petting wherever he could reach. "Your freckles are cute," Genesis murmured. "Well. Nearly all of you is cute."

"Are you kidding," Cloud gasped, pushing his hips back as Angeal hit his sweet spot again,  _fuck_ —"there isn't a single spot on me that isn't… uh, cute."

"You can't even say it with a straight face," Zack laughed. "That's part of what makes you so cute, Spike."

"You're the cute one," Cloud countered.

Angeal's fingers gave a last few tantalizing pushes and then withdrew. "I think  _I_  am the cute one."

"Agreed," Sephiroth said, sitting back on his heels at the foot of the bed.

Zack twisted his mouth. "I guess I can live with that."

"I think so." Cloud shuffled back to wrap an arm around Angeal's neck and kiss him for all the gentle, considerate attention.

"Well, of  _course_ you are," Genesis finished, sounding affronted by the very idea that someone would think otherwise.

Angeal nudged Cloud towards Zack and the blond went extremely willingly. It was a bit confusing to keep track of everybody, all the limbs and banter, but now that Cloud had some time to get used to the situation it was easier. It was Sephiroth who trailed his hand across his back as Cloud took his place beside Zack. Angeal and Genesis were together again on the far side, taking the time to observe.

Zack tugged him close. Their breath lingered in the miniscule space between their lips, not quite kissing. His hand rubbed down Cloud's spine as he bumped their foreheads together. "You cool with this?" Zack asked. "If not I can—"

Cloud placed a hand over Zack's heart; it was racing. So fucking  _cute_.

He wriggled away and made it easy for Zack, lying on his back. He grabbed one of the pillows at the top of the bed—red, the whole damn thing was red—and glanced at the others. "Can I, uh, use this?"

"Of course," Genesis answered, with a wink.

As Cloud positioned it under his hips Zack left the bed to poke through the bedside table. A condom—good, Cloud had been about to ask. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but… safety, and all.

Cloud spread his legs leisurely, trying to focus on Zack. The man's hands were fumbling the condom; he couldn't rip it open.

"Hey." Cloud hooked his leg around Zack's side, making him look up. Cloud tried to be gentle. "Don't be nervous."

Zack glanced at his boyfriends. He sucked in one half of his cheek. Cloud made a soothing noise and reached out to pull Zack down. Even Zack's kisses seemed hesitant. Cloud took his time to ease him through it yet again. He had to focus on one thing at a time or he'd get overwhelmed anyway; he ignored the others nearby and Zack's erection warm and heavy against his ass. The important thing was relaxing Zack.

Eventually the SOLDIER pulled back with a ragged sigh. His eyes looked grateful. Cloud gripped the backs of his thighs and held his knees to his chest. Zack eased on the condom and accepted the lube, applying it liberally. He even massaged another small dollop to the pinkened ring of Cloud's asshole, stretched and waiting for him.

"You got this," encouraged Cloud.

"Yeah," Zack answered, lining himself up with now-steady fingers, "I got you."

During the push inside Cloud fell silent, breathing raggedly. When his balls came to rest against Cloud's ass and he was firmly seated Zack bowed his head, his expression making Cloud's breath catch.

"You okay?" Cloud murmured, holding Zack's face in his hands.

Zack kissed his palm. He'd looked so… destroyed, but now fixed Cloud with an affectionate smile. " _So_ okay," he reassured, and slowly, with a few checks to make sure Cloud was alright, began rolling his hips.

It had been some time since Cloud had done this with a partner, and his couple of toys weren't quite the same. Zack was warm and every ridge and bump in his cock made Cloud shudder. His exploring hands and the kisses he gave him, bending Cloud nearly in half and curving his spine to reach him made it all very intimate, and definitely preferable.

They weren't alone, though.

Cloud turned his head. Something possessed him to let go of one of his thighs and reach out across the bed—Angeal's fingers twisted with his and Genesis smirked at him.

Despite himself, Cloud felt his cheeks flushing. Sephiroth lay on his stomach with his head on his folded arms, that gorgeous hair up and out of the way, spilling over the far edge of the bed. He gave Cloud a lazy, but predatory look.

Genesis had his fingers inside Sephiroth, and Angeal was behind the redhead, slowly pumping his cock as he kissed his shoulder.

A thrill went through Cloud. There was every possibility Seph was being prepped for someone else, but Sephiroth had said he wasn't able to penetrate Cloud, so…?

…Zack saw him looking. "You down for Seph joining in, Spike?"

"Yeah," Cloud sighed, reaching down to touch himself. Zack fucked him with more enthusiasm now, clearly having fun now that he'd forgotten his nerves. His breath was labored but he was laughing, the tight muscles of his core flexing and quivering with each thrust.

"Is that a 'yeah, I'm cool with Seph joining,' or a 'yeah, that feels fuckin' great, Zack'?"

Cloud gave Zack's hair an irritable tug. The man laughed again, his wide, handsome mouth making Cloud grin too.

When Genesis spanked Sephiroth's ass, the sign that he was good to go, Cloud and Zack repositioned themselves so Zack had his head on a pillow and Cloud had his back to him, bouncing his ass fluidly on his big cock.

It must have been a nice sight, because Zack sucked in a breath through his teeth and spread Cloud's cheeks with his thumbs to better see Cloud's hole stretch around it.

Cloud stilled when Sephiroth straddled his thighs. His lips parted immediately under Sephiroth's; everything else faded away for a few achingly sweet moments. Cloud could have been happy making out with Sephiroth on that secluded balcony all night indeed, but this was exponentially better.

Zack pushed a condom into his hands. Cloud rolled it on self-consciously, knowing they were all staring at him. He was still spread out on Zack's thighs, sitting on his shins, breathing heavily as he clenched periodically around Zack's dick.

"Tell us if you get tired," Sephiroth murmured, and raised himself up on his knees. His legs were so damn long; Cloud's hands fell to those pale, muscular thighs and he gazed up at Sephiroth—this silver haired  _god_ —with something like awe. The General gathered all his hair and pushed it over one shoulder, then sank down onto Cloud's dick with as much ease and grace as with everything else he always did.

Cloud's brain needed some time to process all the things he was feeling. He went still, breathing in great deep gasps as he sorted through the simultaneous desire to fuck himself back on Zack or fuck forward into Sephiroth. Zack's hands were still on his ass and now Sephiroth had his hands running tantalizing lines along his scalp.

Zack gave a gentle roll of his hips, pushing Cloud up briefly and deeper into their newcomer. Cloud swore horribly and clutched at Sephiroth's shoulders. They left after a moment and Cloud awkwardly shuffled his arms around, unsure what to do to make the position work.

"That's right," Sephiroth rumbled, amused. "He's never been with multiple partners at once before."

"You'll learn quick," Zack told him. He sounded delighted, though. Sephiroth's fingers curled under Cloud's jaw and he pulled him in for another dizzying kiss.

Cloud had a feeling Sephiroth and Zack were really going to enjoy themselves, and he was right. Both clearly got a kick out of being Cloud's first threesome. They were far more comfortable with it, and eased Cloud into a rhythm that was familiar to them but foreign to him.

This worked best with Cloud leaning back on his arms, planted on the bed on either side of Zack's chest. It strained his shoulders a bit but opened him up at such a delicious angle for Zack's cock. Having his shins pressed to the bedding was good, too; he used the leverage to push himself up each time, his breath coming in pants at the sensations from Sephiroth's body gripping him.

When Cloud fell back, impaling himself on Zack's dick, he drew almost out of Sephiroth. Then he buried himself into the Silver General when he thrust back up, until the flared head of Zack's cock spread him wide.

"Holy  _shit_ ," Cloud swore. His arms felt weak, and trembled on the unsteady surface of the bed. He braced himself back on Zack's chest instead, knowing the SOLDIER could support his weight like that. His legs burned but he ignored them.

Genesis purred from nearby, "That feel good, sweetheart?"

Cloud just answered with a shaky groan, letting his forehead rest against Sephiroth.

Zack's tight grip on Cloud's hips was so fucking good. Sephiroth covered one of Zack's hands there briefly with his own; it was nice to witness the intimate gesture.

"Cloud," Sephiroth said in his sinfully deep voice. It made no sense, seeing him riding Cloud's cock like this, but Cloud wasn't about to object. Cloud waited for him to continue but he did not.

Just wanted to say his name, then.

His erection looked so damn tasty and bounced between their stomachs. Cloud fisted it, dragging the tight ring of his palm and fingers up its entire length. He couldn't balance himself though, and his rhythm faltered. He fell back on Zack and arched his spine as the SOLDIER filled him fully.

"I've got it," Sephiroth assured him, and started to jerk himself off.

Nearby, Angeal noted, "Isn't that a nice sight." Cloud nearly choked; the big, quiet man was spread out on his back, Genesis thrusting gently inside him.

It looked more like they were taking the edge off than working towards orgasm, but it was still fucking  _hot_. He and Genesis were so obviously close, and so understanding about entertaining themselves while the other three were engaged.

Sephiroth caught Cloud's attention again, holding his gaze as he continued to masturbate. The man's eyes were so unique; Cloud could see why so many people talked about them.

Cloud growled, driving his cock deeper into his new friend, " _Good boy_."

Sephiroth's eyes danced with amusement. The sharp, punctuated thrust of Zack's hips showed his approval too.

Cloud's rhythm soon faltered again, his arms shaking horribly. Sephiroth sucked a bruise onto Cloud's sweaty, straining throat. "I don't think he can keep this up much longer," the General told Zack, looking at his boyfriend.

Sephiroth moved until Cloud slipped out of him, Cloud letting out a shaky gasp at the loss. With Cloud still on his lap Zack scooted back until he could sit against the headboard. Cloud brought his knees up and Sephiroth straddled him again, letting out a strained, masculine grunt as the head of Cloud's cock pushed into him.

Zack bucked his hips and lifted Cloud up with that SOLDIER strength that so dazzled him earlier. All Cloud had to do, really, was hold on to Sephiroth; they quite literally did all the hard work for him.

Cloud was ten kinds of okay with this. He was quickly nearing that point where he couldn't do anything too complicated anyway—Zack's energetic, steady thrusts had him writhing, and he groaned his satisfaction into Sephiroth's neck as that unbelievable warm heat squeezed his cock.

"Ssshit," Cloud gasped, his back bowing as Zack rubbed against his sweet spot.

Zack agreed, "Hell yeah," and growled appreciatively as he brushed his thumb over Cloud's flushed, stretched asshole, then gently spanked one cheek. "Fuck, you're gorgeous, Cloud."

"Tell him something he doesn't know," Genesis said. He and Angeal had slowed their clumsy, distracted rutting even more, and were nearly still as they watched the other three approach climax.

Yeah, Cloud knew objectively he was an attractive guy, and heard it often enough. He'd been rather scrawny and knobbly-kneed in his youth but grew into his body; the grueling mechanic work had done him well.

Actually witnessing their desire was totally different, though. Feeling the heat of four different gazes on his naked form made him heady. Knowing that they wanted him at  _all_ was masturbatory material for months.

Cloud still didn't quite understand what drew them to him in the first place, but the connection between them now was unmistakable. He was sure in this—and very,  _very_ sure he wasn't going to last much longer.

"Sephiroth," Cloud managed to choke out, his lungs constricted by the body-numbing pleasure shooting through him, " _Zack_."

Angeal winked at Cloud when hazy blue eyes fixed on him.

"Go easy on him, Seph."

Sephiroth sent Angeal a  _look_ , perhaps playfully annoyed, but the hand on his cock really started to fly.

When he wrung out a thick, clear drop of fluid from the tip of the flushed head Cloud couldn't help but reach down to feel it; he spread it around with his fingertip, his precision shaky as Zack rammed into his prostate.

Sephiroth roughly gripped the back of his head and crushed their mouths together. Cloud swallowed the man's moan as he came. He felt the wet warmth on his hand and Sephiroth clenching so tightly around him it almost fucking  _hurt_.

Sephiroth pulled away from him with a last kiss and a trail of spit connecting their mouths. "Zack," Cloud sighed. He spun around so he could face the SOLDIER and cupped Zack's face. The SOLDIER slipped out of him as he turned and Zack impatiently slid himself back in. Cloud pressed their foreheads together.

He only lasted another few thrusts in this new, more intimate position. Sephiroth's lips descended on his neck from behind, jerking him off as he nipped with his teeth.

"C'mon, Spike," Zack encouraged.

When Cloud came his tongue in Zack's mouth became uncoordinated and sloppy. His thighs tensed and he gripped Zack's shoulders with nearly all his strength. It hit him like lightning, starting with tingling in his feet that shot through the rest of his body, zinging up his spine. Searing electricity made his jaw clench and his muscles seize as his cock bucked in Sephiroth's hand, spurting inside the condom.

When he was spent he breathed unevenly as Zack fucked him through his own orgasm. His thighs trembled violently as he rode that dick a few more times, slow, until Zack slipped out of them and they stilled.

Zack started to laugh.

Cloud trailed messy kisses from his ear to his jaw and mouth. "What the hell," he murmured, ending with one last smooch, "Is so damn funny?"

Zack rubbed his hands down Cloud's waist and hips. "I don't fuckin' know."

Cloud turned his head to look at Sephiroth, still pressed up behind him. His kisses were still just as good as the first one.

"You aren't done, are you?" Genesis asked them.

"I sure hope he isn't." Zack lightly patted Cloud's hips, then nudged him off. Cloud was already distracted though, caught up in the gazes of the other two.

He was here to fuck  _all_ of them, after all; this was his singular chance with them, it seemed. He wasn't about to waste it.

Besides, they were four gorgeous SOLDIERs—it was hard for him to  _not_ want to go again, despite just coming.

Speaking of that… Cloud removed his condom as he shuffled over. Zack held out his hand for disposal; Cloud gave it to him with an odd look, which made the man snort. He disappeared into the bathroom, presumably to throw it, and his own, away. Genesis reached him first, snatching him up and holding him to his chest. With a smile that he couldn't quite manage to form into a smirk Cloud brushed Genesis' bangs away from his forehead and patted his pretty, gently freckled cheek.

"You manage to entertain yourself while we were busy?"

" _Oh_ , yes," Genesis breathed. Whether it was in response to Cloud's question or because Cloud wrapped his fingers around his dick and started to bite at his jaw was unclear. The redhead was so damn responsive; he bucked his hips into Cloud's hand.

A big hand fell to his hip and Cloud turned his head to accept Angeal's kiss. His lips and breath were so hot, and the tickle of the hair on his chin such an enjoyable distraction.

Cloud's hand fell away from Genesis and Angeal deepened their kiss. This towering, muscular man was horny as fuck and trying to  _devour_ Cloud; he was absolutely on board with it.

Angeal gripped Cloud's thighs and picked him up, flipping him onto his back in one quick motion.

Through his sweaty hair he could see Zack, who had returned and was watching from the side with a silly grin like he couldn't believe his eyes. Sephiroth had taken over for Cloud and pushed Genesis back so his head plopped down besides Cloud's.

He started to watch as Sephiroth ducked his head to blow Genesis, the soft lighting in the room shimmering off of Sephiroth's beautiful hair. His attention snapped back to Angeal, though, as he pressed a gentle kiss to the inside of his knee.

"Are you good for more?" he asked, his thumb rubbing soothing swipes on Cloud's inner thigh. "Not too sore?"

"Hell yeah I am." Cloud's legs were already spread invitingly, but he hiked his knees up a little higher. Angeal's cock bumped against his asshole. He'd put on a condom in the last couples minutes while Cloud had been distracted.

"Good." Angeal ran his hands up Cloud's chest, stroking over the dips and bulges of his tensed abs and the curves of his pectorals. "I've thought a lot about how I want to take you."

Cloud felt a bolt of heat rush through his body. He trembled in its aftermath, like a momentary paralysis.

He tried not to blush as he forced out a cocky, "Yeah? What'd you decide on?"

The head of that cock gently pressed against him, not penetrating yet. Back in that burger joint Cloud felt it against his ass, impressive despite being soft. He'd thought about all the ways he wanted it as well.

Another teasing press. "Couldn't make up my mind."

Zack was eager to help out. He retrieved the lube and slicked up Angeal's cock, Cloud clenching in anticipation.

Genesis, just inches away, turned his head towards him. Cloud kissed the smirk right off of his face. Their kiss grew bruising as Angeal sank into him.

He pushed halfway in and pulled back out. Cloud's breath hitched. Angeal fucked him open in a series of progressively deeper thrusts.

"Relax," Genesis murmured against his mouth. He rather abruptly pushed Sephiroth's head away—too much, perhaps—and dragged him up by the hair.

Cloud's toes curled uncertainly as Angeal's heavy balls settled against him. He was stretched so damn wide…

"… _Fuck_ ," Cloud breathed, just enjoying the feeling of it.

Angeal pulled out with one long, slow, spine-tingling withdraw. The first few pushes were torturous. Cloud's eyes slipped shut and his lips parted. Slow— _excruciatingly_ slow, and deep, too. To Cloud's surprise Angeal only marginally picked up the pace in the next couple minutes, fucking him in a thorough, seducing way that had Cloud halfway out of his mind already.

"Ngh _,_ " Cloud grunted, his whole body thrumming. "That's  _good_ , Angeal."

Those big hands gripped Cloud's hips, and suddenly the blond found himself on his knees. He loved it from behind and enthusiastically rolled his ass back into it, peeking back over his shoulder.

Zack reclined on his side, observing everything. He ran his hand along the dip in Cloud's spine. Genesis, still lying on his back, was in the perfect position for Cloud to crawl a foot to the side, lean over, and kiss him. He and the redhead watched together as Sephiroth sank down on his cock.

Genesis was looking very smug. Cloud attempted to make out with him, but Angeal was keeping up his delicious, slow rhythm and Cloud's trembling was starting to threaten to shake him apart.

His forehead fell to Genesis's chest, and he panted shallowly as Angeal continued his torture—pulling out until he was almost gone, then a gentle but sure push back in.

Angeal effortlessly adjusted Cloud again, moving the blond onto his side and spooning him from behind. Zack was happy to see Cloud again; he grinned as Cloud let out gruff little grunts behind clenched teeth.

Angeal's balls slapped solidly against Cloud's ass over and over, and though Cloud's couldn't see the other two he could hear the sounds of Sephiroth riding Genesis. Sephiroth's masculine sighs drove him fucking crazy.

"Angeal," Cloud whispered, his voice tight, "You're killin' me."

The younger man kissed his ear with a chuckle.

Angeal fucked him on top of Zack. Cloud's erection returned at some point and Zack gently worked it with his hand. Angeal took Cloud beneath him, caging him in with those big, muscular arms. He had Cloud ride him, his fingers digging into the globes of his ass. He fucked Cloud on his knees until his arms gave out and he crashed down onto Zack, wheezing.

Every time he started to get used to a new position Angeal seemed to know to switch it up on him. Cloud couldn't keep up. He was disoriented, not sure of much other than  _Angeal,_ inside and around him.

Cloud found himself with his sternum pressed to the bed, moaning weakly with his hair sweaty and matted to his forehead. He had his ass in the air and clenched desperately around Angeal.

The SOLDIER was just as deliberate as before: long, deep glides of his cock into Cloud, delicious pressure against his sweet spot, an agonizing draw out, only to do it all over again. Cloud felt fucking  _claimed_. He'd been fucked while pointed in all directions and smashed against all three of Angeal's boyfriends.

"An _geal_." Cloud said it like a prayer. He got his damn point.

To his great relief, those goddamn infuriating thrusts started to pick up.

Angeal's orgasm had been building for a while, it seemed; in just a couple dozen seconds of this he pushed in one last time, curling his chest against Cloud's back. His cock bucked inside the blond, filling the condom.

He withdrew with a last, wet sound and a rush of soreness.

"He's all yours, Gen," Angeal said.

Cloud let out a weak moan at the words. He waited, his eyes blinking blearily at the bedding, cheek pressed to the bed. His ass was still in the air, sticky with lube and reddened from all the activity. His cock hung down angry and neglected, fucking  _aching_.

He heard them talking, but didn't focus on the words until he felt hands on his waist again.

Genesis. "Cloud, sweetheart. Are you okay?"

" _Yes_ ," Cloud rasped, bucking his hips back into those hands, needing some damn relief. "This is so fucking hot."

He heard some soft, deep laughter—and from more than one person. Not  _at_ him, but because he was damn funny. Genesis ran his hands up his sides, and the motion was, surprisingly, not sexual. Just soothing.

"Calm down for a minute," the redhead said.

Cloud made an irritated noise, but Genesis continued to just  _pet_ him until his breathing evened out somewhat and he had some clarity.

"Are you okay?" Genesis asked again.

"Hell, yeah."

"You want more?" Genesis rubbed the length of his erection through Cloud's spread cheeks, making everything hidden there twitch in anticipation.

_Fuck,_ yes. Cloud wanted another cock inside of him. Getting pounded three times in a row by SOLDIERs was pretty damn high on a lot of fantasy lists of people in Midgar, he could reasonably assume. The thought made Cloud clench weakly around nothing, shifting restlessly.

His spine hurt and the side of his face was so sweaty, pressed for so long into the bed.

"Give it to me," Cloud growled. He tried to lift himself up on his arms, pop his ass out in the way he knew looked damn good, and coax Genesis into it, but they wouldn't support his weight.

Angeal had fucked the hell out of him.

"I certainly will," Genesis murmured. Sephiroth came into Cloud's field of vision and the blond smiled hazily at him as the head of Genesis's cock bumped against his hole. "But  _first_."

" _What?_ "

"How sore are you? Do you need a Cure?"

Cloud took a moment to take stock of himself. It… was true, they were SOLDIERs and he was unenhanced. He frowned, trying unsuccessfully to lift himself up again. Genesis eased the head of his cock inside, just enough to stretch him.

…Yeah, that hurt like fuck. He hadn't noticed while with Angeal, but now… He peeked back at Genesis as best he could. "Can I?"

"Surely." As Cloud watched green light spread to his body from Genesis's hands. Just like that, the soreness, the cramped muscles, and the worst of the exhaustion was gone.

"How'd you do that?" Cloud asked.

"Cast a spell," Genesis murmured, distracted by the deep line along Cloud's spine, and the tight muscles of his back.

"He's wondering where your materia is," Zack offered. He sounded a little breathless. Cloud peeked; he was lounging back against Angeal's chest, and had a hand on his own cock, leisurely stroking as he watched them.

Cloud's tone was coy. "I can only think of one place it could be."

Cloud smirked at the exasperated look Genesis sent him. His smile widened as Genesis sank into him, and took on a flirty edge as Genesis stilled.

"You were waiting a while," Cloud goaded. Or, rather, attempted to—Genesis was distracted by his body, and not moving just yet.

Cloud lost his cool. " _Dammit,_ Genesis. I'm not in the mood for any more teasing." He frowned at the wicked look on Genesis's face. He was such a fucking  _jerk_.

"Luckily for you, my dear, I was not planning to tease you."

To Cloud's great surprise, Genesis was the opposite of what he had expected, after all his snarky comments and their banter all evening.

For not the first time, Cloud had been lulled into believing that what image Genesis tried so hard to give off was the way he  _always_ was. Earlier Genesis' cuddling had put him at ease when they were discussing how this night would play out. He'd been so understanding, and good about breaking the ice for all of them. Cloud had been grateful at the time.

It was kind of amazing, then, how Cloud had forgotten. Or, perhaps, how Genesis had muddled his understanding of him yet again. That first time they met (the  _only_ other time they had met), in the shop, Cloud thought he pinned Genesis down, had a good read.

He'd expected more teasing, he'd expected to fall apart and not get relief until he sobbed for it or until he paused their game and made it clear he was not interested in that type of play any longer.

Genesis, however, gave him exactly what he wanted.

_Harder,_ Cloud sighed—and Genesis increased the force of his thrusts, the place where his balls hit Cloud's rear growing pleasantly tingly from the impacts. He laid Cloud out on his back and kissed him like a lover, all deep, breathless swipes of tongue and soft lips. He stroked the hair from Cloud's eyes and rubbed his hands down Cloud's thighs and the hard planes of his body.

He  _spoke_ to him, crooning to Cloud all the things he was making Genesis feel—damn good, apparently. Cloud wasn't always one for dirty talk but hearing about how 'exquisite' he felt clamping down on that big cock in Genesis's  _voice_ did amazing things for him. The rest of the praise, too, made his hand pump himself a little faster, with a little more desperation.

Genesis looked so damn good curled over him too, with his hair hanging down to tickle Cloud's face. His lips were pinkened and spit-slick, descending on Cloud's mouth, jaw and the side of his face in ways that had Cloud chuckling at some points, smiling serenely into those bedroom eyes at times, and groaning softly at others.

He wasn't ignored by the others, either. Whenever he reached out someone would let him tug them in to hold and kiss. Someone took over jerking his cock for him and Cloud moaned out his thanks, clutching at Genesis's hair with one hand and the muscle between neck and shoulder on someone else with his other—Angeal, he discovered.

Genesis was working him over so fucking good, too—quick, satisfying thrusts right where Cloud wanted it. Sephiroth had his lips on Cloud's throat. Zack was the one with the hand on his dick, sneaking it in between his and Genesis' tightly-pressed bodies. He gazed at Cloud over the broad plane of Angeal's back, startlingly warm and intimate ( _everything_ was, it was so unreal).

Cloud felt like he was being worshipped a little bit, and that kind of care was nothing he was used to. Care was something Cloud appreciated very much. It made no sense getting any from a group of strangers like this. He got it anyway.

He came with all of their eyes on him. He came with Genesis's hips snug against his, fucking erratically through the shocks of pleasure that hit the both of them—powerful and overwhelming at first, and soon fading, like a retreating storm. He came without saying anything, because at that point Cloud didn't trust himself to say anything coherent, or, at the very least, anything that wouldn't embarrass the hell out of him.

Genesis slipped out, someone gently eased his cramping legs down, and Cloud  _still_ didn't know what to say.

He cast a tired glance around to check if everyone had come while he was with Genesis, or was done, at least—soft dicks all 'round, it looked like. Good. He was tuckered out.

Cloud hooked one muscled arm around Zack's neck and pulled him down. The SOLDIER was happy to see him, like a puppy after its owner returned from a long day at the auto shop; he even covered Cloud's face with kisses, his wide hands making a mess of the come on Cloud's belly.

"Zack," Sephiroth protested, appearing from the attached bathroom with a washcloth and hand towel, "I got these to clean everyone. Stop making my job harder."

"I'll make it harder for you," Zack flirted, waggling his eyebrows.

Cloud chuckled softly, tucking Zack's head against his shoulder. "How was it?" Zack prompted. "You good, Spike?"

The blond nodded absently as he considered all of them. The right way to express himself was still out of reach…

"…Genesis really does get a dopey look on his face when he watches people fuck," he decided on.

"You  _brat_!"

Genesis smacked playfully at him from over Zack's shoulder.

Angeal, who was kicking all their clothes on the floor into the corner and disposing of all the condoms and the lube bottle, placed a knee on the bed so he could duck down and kiss him. "I like when you show him who's boss," the man murmured to him. Cloud pressed a thumb to his fuzzy chin and hummed agreeably against his lips.

Sephiroth's little wipe down was a sensual affair, but nothing at this point could get Cloud hard again. The blond noticed Zack looking at him, thoughtful, and he put his worries to rest. "It was great," Cloud said, shaking his head. "I don't know how I'm supposed to say it. Better than I expected. I think we all made the right choice."

Zack offered a soft smile. "Hell yeah we did."

There were still a few more soft kisses shared, and calloused hands rubbed across bare skin. For just a minute, Cloud felt awkward, reminded that he didn't really belong to this group of younger men. They hadn't discussed whether he was to leave this night or the next day. Zack threw an arm over his waist and Angeal settled in on his other side, though; it didn't look like they wanted him to leave. Cloud accepted it. He wiggled a bit until he was comfortable, tucking the blanket up over his shoulder, and closed his eyes.

Angeal and Genesis's soft conversation soon ended, and then the bedroom grew quiet. Zack's breath against the back of his neck was warm, and was quickly lulling the exhausted mechanic to sleep.

Genesis kept shifting around, though, at the far end of the bed. After just a few minutes he whispered, "Is everyone awake?"

Everyone was. "What's up?" Zack asked, his voice reverberating in his chest so Cloud could feel it against his back. "You okay, Gen?"

"…I suppose. I was just thinking."

"About what," Sephiroth asked flatly, with a yawn.

"…The hors d'oeuvres at that event tonight really were miserable. I haven't eaten since breakfast."

Sephiroth shifted as well, behind Zack. "I did mention Cloud and I didn't have anything this evening, either. I don't know about him, but I'm rather hungry, actually."

Someone's stomach grumbled. "See what I mean," Genesis said. "Angeal?"

"…I could eat."

Cloud offered, "So could I."

"Zack?"

"I'm hungry for some more meat."

"Shut the  _hell_ up," Angeal growled, but he was laughing, too—and getting out of bed, along with Genesis.

"Let's go, folks," the redhead ordered, "I'm starving."

Cloud laughed. He laughed hard, and freely, with none of the usual reservation he kept for every single thing he ever did, initially born of necessity. Cloud took a moment for himself to linger after all of them stood and started rustling around for clothing. He stretched out in the big, silly bed in the quiet and comfortable apartment, the opposite of the hostility and hardness he'd always imagined everything ShinRa had to have. He then moved to the edge, and went to follow the others.


	6. Chapter 6

"I need a few minutes," Genesis said, his words clipped and tinged with urgency.

"No way," Zack replied. He ran a reassuring hand down his boyfriend's back. It was soothing, but firm too; he gave a small push when Genesis didn't budge as the line moved forward.

"I need time to think about my order!" Genesis stressed again. His eyes were narrowed now, and beside him Angeal's were rolling. The bigger man had a few fingers of one hand hooked into the belt loop of the borrowed jeans Cloud was wearing. Cloud was leant over the counter of the small restaurant, speaking to the cashier over the din of its late-night patrons.

Sephiroth had just ordered, and next would be Angeal, then Zack himself, and then Genesis.

"We waited like twenty-five minutes in line," Zack said softly into his boyfriend's ear, "Just pick something."

"Fuck you," Genesis responded, but was now biting his lip, an adorable counterpoint to the harsh words.

Cloud moved away to wait nearby for his order and Angeal moved up. It was hot and packed in the joint, full of civilians and a few other military personnel who were mostly drunk or high off their asses. It was nearly three in the morning, after all. Sector 8, and Loveless Ave in particular, always bustled.

Zack grinned widely as Angeal moved to join Sephiroth and Cloud. They all looked happy despite the late hour, standing close together. They offered each other small, subtle affections—the brush of hands, or a quick little tug to Cloud's belt loops again, nothing to arouse suspicion from anyone watching, but enough to feel close and connected, even here.  _He_ sure was happy—he had to rip his eyes away from the image his boyfriends made next to his handsome mechanic crush.

When it was Genesis' turn to order he glared daggers at Zack. "Pick something at random," the younger man sighed, unaffected by it.

He chuckled as he rejoined the other three. "Gen is always really bad about deciding what he wants to eat when we go out," he told Cloud, who was clutching his food while sweeping the crowded restaurant with his eyes. It was a whole lot of movement to keep track of. The blond cracked only a small smile.

When everyone had their grub Zack started to push through the crowd, looking for a table. "I dunno if we'll have much luck," he told the others.

"It's us," Genesis called from somewhere behind him. "We'll find seats."

Couldn't beat that logic.

"Guys," Cloud murmured, and then repeated himself much more loudly, "Guys."

"Yeah?" Zack, in the lead, stopped and peered back at Cloud, who brought up the rear.

Cloud's knuckles were white around his food. "It's crowded in here. Can we eat somewhere outside?"

Zack eyed Cloud's flushed face and his stiff posture. "Oh, right…"

Sephiroth made the decision before he could. "Absolutely," he told Cloud. He turned, placed a steadying hand between Cloud's shoulder blades, and started to guide him out of the building. When the crowd didn't immediately part for him and leaving proved slow and difficult, he squeezed past Cloud and confidently led him out, using his near-celebrity status in this pro-ShinRa Sector to effortlessly get people to move.

Seeing Sephiroth usher their new friend out of the area made Zack smile again—he'd lost count of all the times he'd done so that night. First he had a wonderful time goofing around at that event with Angeal and Genesis, and then they'd returned to Genesis' apartment to wait for Sephiroth and Cloud, kissing and talking about what was going to happen…

…And once they arrived, yeah. He'd done a lot of smiling after that.

They emerged into the cool evening air and Zack pressed this moment's smile to Angeal's lips; he was the first man he could reach, but he was definitely not going to be the last, tonight.

Genesis knew the area best. "This way," he said through a mouthful of fries, the impatient asshole he always was.

They settled in at a park full of artificial trees and shrubs (Angeal always complained about it, because of the unrealistic plastic, but he still visited often like he couldn't help himself). There were some open benches, too. They were all nailed to the ground though. Zack ripped one out of the concrete and carried it over to where his friends sat. It was hard not to puff out his chest at the look Cloud gave him for the display.

Angeal said, clearly disapproving, "Someone will have to fix that."

"Aw, c'mon, Angeal."

"They will," he responded, shrugging, "That's all I'm saying."

All five tore into their meals. It was the perfect amount of hideously unhealthy and greasy to satisfy all of them. For Zack, there was something immensely satisfying about ripping away mouthfuls of meat after all that sex. The others seemed to feel the same. Even though Sephiroth had some trouble with the extremely limited vegetarian menu, he looked pleased.

The temperature was so soothing, and Genesis felt great tucked against his side, enjoying the delayed sexual afterglow. Zack put his arm around his boyfriend, and Genesis briefly leant his head on his shoulder.

Ugh, this night was amazing.

He even told them so: "Tonight is amazing."

He got various grunts of agreement, and something unintelligible from Angeal, who was trying to talk with his mouth full again. Genesis gently dug his elbow into Zack's side for being cheesy.

It was true. His muscles felt worn and  _good_. Zack could hardly believe that this was where they were now, that this was how far they'd come in such a short time. He could hardly believe his eyes when, as easy as anything, Sephiroth paused in his conversation to duck his head and kiss Cloud sitting right beside him, the pair sitting on an opposite bench.

It was a magical thing.

When the edge was taken off the worst of their hunger Zack fixed Cloud with a thoughtful look.

"So…" he drawled, "Tell us a little bit about yourself, Mr. Strife."

Cloud watched him for a moment, just chewing. Zack's stomach flipped when he did not get a response right away.

"You said we could work on becoming real friends afterward," he rambled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Now seems like a good time to start."

Zack was secretly a bit nervous, irrationally worried Cloud wouldn't be into it. Cloud gave him a handsome smile though, the same wise, reassuring one he'd offered in the kitchen, and right before he'd fucked him, too nervous to even open the condom wrapper.

He said simply, "It does."

So, reassured, Zack went about learning what made Cloud Strife tick. He had a few ideas, and knew more about the mechanic than he ever thought he would. He knew Cloud had fucking sexy little groans he made when he was trying to keep quiet with a dick up his ass, and he knew he was capable of making one dazzling motorcycle… but he was a curious guy. Learning more could only be a good thing. His boyfriends, thank Gaia, seemed to think the same way. They looked so interested as Cloud began to awkwardly discuss his hobbies.

"Um, I have to think," Cloud said, trailing off after telling them he mostly liked to tinker in the garage. "I mean, I like the stuff I do for work, and Fenrir in my spare time. I have a few video games?"

"Oh yeah?" Zack asked, intrigued. It turned out they shared a title or two, though Cloud didn't play them as much as he did.

Genesis, his hand curled over Zack's knee and stroking the fabric with his thumb, asked Cloud, "You a reader?"

"Sometimes."

"Any poetry?"

"Not really."

" _Hm._ "

After some more thinking while sucking at his milkshake Cloud said, "I guess I like things that give me a rush."

Angeal tilted his head. "Drugs?"

Cloud chuckled. "That's not what I meant, though I've experimented with some stuff. I meant… Fenrir. I love riding him outside the city. Fighting on him, too. It's intense."

"I always thought riding my bike was too loud and uncomfortable," Genesis offered, "And the acceleration sometimes made my stomach turn."

"I love it," Cloud repeated. —And back in Nibelheim, when Fenrir was just a dream and a few sketches in a notebook, Cloud snowboarded. Sephiroth told Cloud he must have been adorable as a young teen in his puffy pants and jacket, strapped to a board. Cloud bumped his head against Sephiroth's shoulder, looking embarrassed.

"I have a skateboard in my room, but it usually isn't flat or open enough under the plate to skate. Too much trash."

Zack leant forward, hands on his knees. "So manly," he purred.

Cloud snorted. "That word doesn't mean anything."

"So  _cool_ ," Zack corrected.

Cloud balled up his trash and settled against Sephiroth's side with just his shake—actually snuggled into him a bit. Angeal hid his grin behind his burger. He was the odd man out alone on a third bench but he didn't seem to mind; Zack made a note to give him some extra attention when they got back. Cloud looked awfully comfortable when he asked, "What do you like to do, Sephiroth?"

"Train," he responded flatly.

Cloud chuckled and nudged him; he could tell already that there was more to Sephiroth than that. "What else?"

"…I like movies."

"Yeah? Favorite genre?"

"Comedies, I suppose. I enjoy the challenge of seeing whether I can suspend my disbelief. They are often the worst offenders, however."

Angeal wasn't one to be left out, and nor was anyone the type to ignore him. Cloud listened closely as he was treated to a discussion of gardening. He'd done it with his mother as a child in Banora, and enjoyed the challenge of tending to plants in Midgar, where they all died eventually (except for Aerith's; they all spent a few minutes speaking fondly of Zack's best friend).

"It's too cold to garden in Nibelheim really. It's only warm enough two or three months a year, and that's not long enough to grow much."

"I'll teach you," Angeal promised.

Zack paused at that. Angeal, at least, planned to see Cloud again… that was good, wasn't it?

The walk back to HQ was a definite, immediate good. He took Angeal's hand and let himself bump into his older boyfriend's side. Genesis and Cloud kept up a steady conversation, the redhead coaxing words out of the otherwise quiet and reserved man with ease. Sephiroth brought up the rear, silent and steady, a comforting presence at their backs. They were all sleepy, and got ready for bed once back at Genesis's place.

Angeal spent some time nuzzling Cloud and pressing gentle, stubbled kisses to his neck and shoulders before releasing him. Zack's eyes met Sephiroth's as he drew Cloud down beside him once Angeal let him go. Despite having someone new in their bed Zack had never felt so connected to his lovers.

They all settled in, adjusting limbs and positions until all were comfortable. Zack hummed into Cloud's neck. "Goodnight."

The soft, tired responses he received put any last worries of his to rest. He closed his eyes and let himself rest, too.

* * *

Zack woke to soft murmuring from two of his boyfriends, and with his face pressed to Cloud's chest. He was so warm, so strong and broad, so damn attractive… his head rose and fell with Cloud's rhythmic breathing. His soft exhales even sounded soothing. The hickeys from the night before were dark now. They looked so good on his pale skin.

Right in front of his partners, and uncaring of the early hour or their audience, Zack rolled over on top of Cloud. The blond's sleepy mumble turned into a rumbly groan of approval as Zack pressed his morning wood against him.

Zack was so ready to go. Cloud looked fucking amazing in Genesis' bed, surrounded on all sides by sleepy-soft—and now amused—men. Cloud's hands tangled in his hair as Zack thrust against him and sucked at a pulsing point on that pretty throat.

" _Mm,_ " Cloud sighed as Zack's hips met his again, and then again, indulgent and firm. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Genesis replied for him, because Zack's mouth was busy. The redhead had been spooned up at his back when Zack first woke, and shifted over to occupy his old space after Zack moved on top of Cloud. He trailed his fingers over Cloud's brow, sweeping unkempt, flattened spikes out of those pretty eyes.

Cloud tilted his head back and groaned as Zack thrust their hard cocks together. Sephiroth and Angeal both hated it when the comforter got all askew, and when Cloud wrapped his legs around Zack's hips it became even more of a rumpled mess. Judging by the way they were both watching, curled up on the other side of the bed together and blinking sleep out of their eyes, Zack figured they were cool with it this time.

Like yesterday, Zack was struck by how comfortable Cloud seemed. He fit right in, closing his eyes and unashamedly bucking his hips up to meet Zack's thrusts.

Their movements were not rushed or frenzied. The gentle sunlight streaming in the window on their tired, rumpled bodies set the mood. It was a lazy, indulgent rutting, with kisses to Cloud's neck and fingers petting through Cloud's hair.

"Dammit, Cloud," Zack growled against his Adam's apple. Their erections rubbed, trapped between layers of pajama fabric.

He could feel the others' gazes on him and it made him burn even hotter. He dropped his forehead to the space beside Cloud's head and shoulder and worked his spine and hips, simulating fucking him. He wanted to do it again. Cloud had felt so good clamped around him—and he felt good now, warm and soft and sleepy, that pretty cock of his rubbing against Zack's. Fabric brushed against hypersensitive skin, Zack's approving groans mixed with Cloud's nearly silent sighs of pleasure, and the two men angled themselves just right so Zack could ride them both into orgasms that built slow and crashed over them in a series of gentle, delicious waves.

Cloud kept his legs wrapped around Zack until the wonderful sensations had subsided entirely. He relaxed with one last sigh and closed his eyes, his hair spread out on the pillow.

Zack had been avoiding kissing him because no one had brushed their teeth yet but couldn't resist one firm, affectionate press. Cloud offered him an exhausted, but slightly cocky smile.

Angeal and Sephiroth drew Cloud away from him and Zack was happy to melt back into Genesis's embrace. With legs tangled and chins tucked over shoulders and fingers entwined, the group spoke softly to each other about the little stuff—everyone sleep well? You want another Cure, Cloud? I had a weird dream, here's what happened. Yes, that's a weird dream, what did you eat last night again?; and some bigger stuff too—you look so gorgeous in our bed. Thank you for waking up with us.

Eventually they got up. Angeal and Genesis prepared breakfast while Cloud and Zack changed. Cloud borrowed another pair of Genesis's pajama pants and lounged around with the other two on the couches in them. He was the shortest out of all of them and Zack could tell Sephiroth wanted to comment about how excess fabric bunched around Cloud's bare feet, but the General (probably wisely) did not.

Conversation over breakfast was deeper than expected. Cloud told them a bit more about Nibelheim, and about his mom, revealing that she passed away four years back. He and Cid both left Midgar to attend her funeral in Nibelheim. Quietly, Cloud confessed that he had been embarrassed about not making it into the military, and thus didn't visit her or his hometown as much as he should have in the years afterward. He regretted it.

Angeal's mom had moved on to the Lifestream just eight months back. Zack had liked Gillian. Angeal was a resilient man but even he could be overburdened. Zack, Sephiroth and Genesis let the two of them talk it out together, reminiscing on what they'd lost and remembering good moments. Sephiroth looked wistful. Years ago, when Zack was first getting to know Sephiroth, he told him that he was totally open to sharing his own mom, still back at home with his pop in Gongaga.

When the eggs were cold and their juice warm they cleaned up and relocated to the living room. Conversation continued. Angeal shared a few of his own motorcycle stories, from when he'd first gotten it. He wiped out three times before deciding he just wasn't very good at it and gave it up.

Cloud made a promise of his own right back at him. "I'll teach you. Balancing can be hard at first." Zack didn't miss the smile Genesis and Sephiroth shared between each other.

"You know, Spike," Zack said a short while later, "We could go visit the infantry wing now, if you wanted. Check it out. If you feel up to it."

Cloud's brows furrowed in thought. "…Next time," he said.

No one pushed it.

The cruel reality was that Cloud had to get to work. He had to pick up Fenrir from the lobby floor and go help his Uncle. He climbed back into the suit he wore the evening before, now creased and ruined. Some parts were still streaked with dust from his exploration with Sephiroth. He looked like he'd had fun, and like he'd gotten  _fucked_.

They helped him gather his stuff, and Angeal packed him a few leftovers from breakfast, pushing it into Cloud's hands despite the initial polite decline. Cid Highwind's nameplate was carefully slid into his pants pocket.

Cloud looked an awful lot like he belonged in Genesis's apartment; Zack wasn't about to be the first one to admit it. Instead, he clapped Cloud on the shoulder during that awkward moment before a goodbye, all of them standing near the door.

"We had a good time," Zack murmured. He smiled, hoping Cloud would do the same—he did. "Seriously."

"It was a great evening," Angeal said, from Zack's side.

Cloud replied, "I thought so too."

Another brief moment of uncomfortable silence. Cloud shuffled his feet, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Will I…" Cloud trailed off, and then his expression hardened. He tried again. "Will I see you guys again?"

"If you want to, I don't see why not. This was fun." Zack twisted his head, seeing nods of agreement from the other three.

"…Should I call?" Cloud sighed, and crossed his arms. "Look. I know what happened with the last guy—I don't want to… stick around if you don't want me to. Or be annoying."

Genesis started to say something—probably the same thing Zack was thinking, that there was nothing to worry about, and that Cloud was different from the others, for some reason—but they both fell quiet. That was all their issue, but Sephiroth's most of all. They all looked at him.

Sephiroth held out his hand, and he and Cloud shared a rather stiff handshake.

"We are not done with you, Cloud," he stated. "…Provided you are not done with us."

"Of course not," Cloud breathed, his gaze captured by the younger man's. Zack let them stare at each other for a long moment. Cloud was adorable when he was trying to play it cool. He eventually blinked and glanced around at the rest of the group. "Let me know if you want me to back off. I mean that."

"We will."

Cloud nodded and turned to leave, but Zack stopped him with a gentle hand to his shoulder. The words on the tip of his tongue fled, leaving him as tongue-tied as that first time they met, when all of Zack's flirts proved too juvenile and insufficient for this amazing man he'd found. Cloud's gentle patience eased his next simple sentence out of him: "Thanks, Spike."

"Yeah. You too." Cloud gently shut the door behind him on his way out.

* * *

There weren't a whole lot of places in the Tower to just hang out other than places that were specifically designated for, well, hanging out. The SOLDIER floor had a lounge or two, as did the infantry wing, but comfy seating in the rest of the building was scarce. At some point he remembered Cloud saying that the building was unwelcoming and sterile—not of germs, Zack was sure, but of organic life, and of fun. It wasn't a bad observation.

Zack and his friends managed to camp out at a ledge outside that was almost a bench, even if it was a bit too close to a loud vent for the Tower's air conditioning for anyone's tastes.

There were a couple hours before any of them had to report for a mission, so the small group of SOLDIER Firsts and Seconds brought out their lunches and took the opportunity to shoot the shit.

His buddy Brian, promoted to First Class just last week, was still high off the excitement of the promotion and couldn't stop bragging.

Brian, although glad he could  _say_ he got a motorcycle, didn't really see the point. No one else seemed to agree with Zack, that they were really damn cool and useful.

"They're all shitty anyway," griped Mags, biting into her sandwich with particular violence, "Maybe if they didn't break down so often or parts didn't fall off when we go over bumpy terrain…"

David, on Zack's left, frowned. "Who takes care of them, anyway?"

"There's these two guys in the garage," Mags answered. "Haven't you seen them when you're down there?"

"No," David confessed, "I've actually only been down there once, to see my bike right after I got it a few months ago. Didn't see anybody."

"Hey," Brian asked, looking over at Zack curiously. "You use your bike pretty often don't you, Zack?"

"I  _did_. It broke down. Got scrapped."

They looked mildly interested so Zack shared the story, with his mission, the Zenenes, and the spectacular breakdown in Sector 3. From there, he'd walked it into the next Sector to a nearby mechanic. The most exciting parts of the story were played up a little, but he meant no harm.

"An  _actual_  mechanic?" David raised his eyebrows. One was still singed off from a fire-based summon he'd used last week in preparation for his upcoming exam for First Class. "Someone not a total piece of shit who's never even seen a bike before?"

Zack couldn't help but laugh.

"I heard," Mags said, with her eyes glittering mischievously, "That the mechanics are actually two infantrymen being punished."

"We're the ones being punished," Zack muttered, cracking a grin after, unable to keep his face straight.

Brian shrugged. "Someone once told me they're two experiments from the science department who grew sentient."

They tossed around a few other increasingly outlandish theories before Zack put an end to it, because he was laughing so hard his stomach hurt.

"Ow… ha ha, no. The mechanic  _I_  went to knew what he was talking about." He told his friends how Cloud had kicked Fenrir over into the dirt and chastised him for his treatment of the bike. He signed a form letting Cloud scrap Odin so he could only imagine what had happened to the bike and where the parts were. He paused after finishing his story.

"What's that grin for?"

Zack rubbed the back of his neck, smiling bashfully. " _Actually_ ," he said, moving his hands to his hips and taking a few steps away from his friends, then doubling back, "That mechanic is really cute. I talked to the other three about him, and, well. He slept over Gen's place this past weekend."

David raised his eyebrows. "…With the rest of you present as well?"

Snorting, Zack answered, "Yeah."

"And all of you were cool with that?"

"Oh yeah, definitely. We all talked about it beforehand."

Mags tilted her head in thought. "I don't think I could do what you guys do," she settled for. Zack just shrugged, fixing her with a kind smile. "How do you four decide that you want to, uh… bring on someone else, anyway?"

"Oh, he's not our boyfriend," Zack said quickly, raising his hands. "We just slept with him."

"A one-time thing?"

Zack considered it. "It'll… probably happen again, to be honest. I don't think that was it. I mean, we've hooked up with other people a few times, but that was all just once."

"…Huh." It wasn't just Mags—they were all staring at him weirdly.

" _What_?"

Mags finished off her pretzels and shrugged as he crumpled up the bag. "I'm just trying to wrap my head around it. I'll leave the decisions like that to you and your boyfriends."

"Good. How's  _your_ boyfriend doing, anyway?"

They talked a bit about upcoming missions and some typical training shit, but Zack's heart wasn't in it. He was distracted. Eventually he drifted away from the others. His skin itched and his fingers twitched, wrapped around his PHS.

He gave in to the temptation, and called Cloud. His stomach flipped uncertainly as he waited for Cloud to answer.

" _Highwind Auto_ , Cid speakin'."

Oh,  _shit_.

"Uh," Zack began, his brain stuttering like a stalling engine, "Hey, Cid."

There was just silence for a long,  _long_ moment.

"Mr. Highwind," Zack corrected.

"…Don't call me that," Cid said slowly. "This is the spiky-haired one, yeah?"

"Um, yeah. Zack Fair."

"Fair, right. With the shitty bike. I'm assumin' you're clogging up our shop's line 'cause you want to talk to my nephew."

"Yeah. Is he free?"

"Yeah, he's not doin' anything too important at the moment."

Zack waited, but it didn't sound like Cid was going anywhere to get him. When Cid spoke, it sounded like it was physically hurting him to do so. "So… I heard a bit about his weekend. Just the bare fuckin' details, lemme assure you. No thank you. But I think it's worth sayin'."

"Yes Sir," Zack answered, red-faced.

"Cloud's been through some shit. He's well old enough to take care of himself, but I still don't want to see him upset because some famous pretty-boy ShinRa folks are playin' with him."

"No Sir," Zack murmured, tapping the toe of one boot on the ground. "We're all on the same page."

"Hm." Cid did not sound impressed. "Keep it that way. I'll go get Cloud."

"Thank you." Zack's heart started to race; it was unclear whether it was because of that encounter or the anticipation of finally speaking with Cloud again.

"Hello?" the mechanic eventually answered.

"Cloud," Zack greeted. He started pacing again, tuning out the SOLDIERs still sitting nearby. "It's good to hear your voice, man."

"Yeah." Zack could picture Cloud nodding along as he said it. He seemed like that kind of guy. "You too."

Zack anxiously raked a hand through his hair. "I've kinda forgotten the proper protocol for contacting people after you sleep with 'em, but I figured four days was enough."

Cloud's voice was warm enough to chase away the last of his nerves. "I'm glad you called. I was thinking about it yesterday, but…"

"Aw, but what? I would have loved to hear from you."

"I just didn't want to be like that last guy you had, I guess."

"Oh…" Zack frowned. The self-conscious lilting of Cloud's words, the quiet way he spoke—the blond gave away more than you'd think, once you started paying some attention. Zack smiled gently out at the city.

"Don't worry about that. Seriously. We want to hear from you. Actually, I— kinda missed you. I gotta say."

There was a long pause on both ends. Zack began to wonder if that was too much.

"Yeah," Cloud eventually breathed. "I missed you too."

"Who are you talking to?" David called.

Zack moved the PHS away from his mouth for a moment. "The mechanic."

He heard Cloud release a small puff of amusement in his ear. Brian flapped a hand as he exclaimed, "Hey! Can you ask him a question for me? My bike is being weird!"

"No," Zack answered, but his friend scowled at him and demanded he stop being a killjoy.

On the other line Cloud asked, "What's going on?"

Sighing, Zack answered, "My buddy is having issues with his new bike. He wants your help. You've got to have better things to do."

"It's cool."

Cloud spoke simply, but his tone was light. Maybe he wouldn't be annoyed…

"What's the issue?" Zack asked, humoring his friend as he walked closer to the group.

"I only rode it the one time, just the other day when I got it, but it kept stalling and being weird and stuff whenever I went too fast."

Zack sighed heavily, but it was more for show than anything. "He says his bike stalls and is 'weird and stuff' when he goes too fast."

"Hm. That could be a bunch of things, but the most likely culprit is the spark plugs."

"Spark plugs," Zack relayed.

Brian just stared at him. "Spark plugs?"

"He's not sure what those are," Zack told Cloud, biting back a grin, "And, uh, neither am I."

Cloud sounded amused. "They ignite the fuel vapor in the combustion chambers in the engine. The plugs could be gapped incorrectly, or the specifications might not match your engine. If they're misfiring when you open the throttle, they could be old plugs—or just shitty."

"…Uh huh." Zack did his best to relay this information, scrunching his face up in confusion. Brian looked just as perplexed as he; the other two were making faces as well.

Cloud  _definitely_ sounded amused as he told him, "Have your friend check the color of the plugs. I have a feeling they might be white. Engine's running lean."

"How do I even…  _find_ a spark plug on that thing?" Brian asked, holding up his hands.

Zack snorted and handed over the HPS. Hearing the one-sided conversation was pretty funny. He sat back down and relaxed, crossing one leg over the other as he bumped his shoulder against David's. They had joined the SOLDIER program at the same time, years ago. Although Zack accelerated through it faster and was now one Class above his friend, they'd always been fairly close, and kept in touch. The two of them listened to Brian's  _Uhhh… okays_ and his  _um, can you repeat thats?_

"If he's willing to put up with your friends and their bullshit, I think that's a pretty clear sign he's a keeper," Mags commented.

Zack raised his eyebrows, but had to admit, "Yeah, he's a good guy."

The other three talked among themselves as Brian's responses morphed into  _Ohhhs_ and  _I get its_. When he handed the PHS back to Zack he was actually grinning.

"He's cool," he quipped.

Zack nodded and stood up again, moving away for a bit of privacy (unlikely, because they all had enhanced hearing, but perhaps his friends were considerate enough to pretend not to listen). "Cloud?"

The answering greeting was warm. "Hey Zack."

For some reason, Zack felt his cheeks heat up. Cloud hadn't said anything particularly flirty but that silly flip in his gut he got whenever he thought about his crush was back. "Thanks for puttin' up with that," he managed.

"I don't mind. Tell him he can bring it in to me if he runs into trouble, would you? We could use the business. Oh—speaking of. There's a customer."

"Okay." Zack was suddenly loathe to let Cloud go. They hadn't had a real conversation; they hadn't talked about all the things Zack wanted to discuss with him. He wanted to talk about the warmth of Cloud's skin, his confident and meltingly good kisses, the way Zack slept with his head on Cloud's chest, comforted and warm…

He wanted to experience it all again, and even more. This phone call, compared to that, was a weak substitute.

"We'll talk again," he promised. "I want to see you again. Soon. We'll set it up."

"Okay." Cloud spoke quickly, but Zack could hear the pleased note in that smooth voice. "Sounds great. Bye, Zack."

"See ya."

Mags gave him a knowing look when he returned, and the only thing he could do was shrug. It wasn't even worth denying. "I can't help it," he said, giving an exaggerated goofy shrug and a grin, "He's like, perfect."

"You know what's perfect? The new model chopper we got. They're phasing out the old ones one at a time." David had always been a nerd about these things; his enthusiasm reminded him of Cloud, with the bikes. "It's so  _smooth_."

Mags teased, "So you won't get sick in one again?"

Zack snickered at his friends. Their conversation shifted again, and he didn't mention Cloud again until hours later, when he joined his boyfriends for some quality time in Sephiroth's office. It was the biggest between them (something that never sat right with Genesis).

Angeal and Genesis were still on duty but the other two were done for the day. Zack's hair was still wet from the shower he'd taken after returning from his mission. Even Sephiroth seemed more exhausted than usual, having finished a mission of his own. Zack had to bite back a laugh at the look the General gave him over Angeal's head. The other two were doting on him, as usual.

Zack crunched his broccoli and poked around in his takeout container for a while as he thought about how to say it. There were sneaky options, there were vague ones… but what he decided on was very basic, and upfront: "So I called Cloud today."

There was some surprise, but no disapproval. Each of their expressions was studied carefully before Zack continued, and told them about it. Cloud had been helpful, and kind, and so clearly happy to hear from him. He'd been worried, and had avoided calling any of them because he didn't want to come off as clingy or aggressive, like the last guy. He had been busy, but still made time to talk with Zack—and wanted to talk to him again.

They seemed happy to hear all of it. Angeal's thoughtful frown eased into a gentle smile as he considered Cloud. Zack had loved seeing the two of them together; Angeal was the type to take care of his partners, and Cloud looked like he needed a little care, even if he didn't think so. Genesis's eyes were calculating. He never took anything at face value, and Zack trusted whatever judgement he would come up with. Sephiroth looked…soft, and happy. His connection with Cloud had been unmistakable.

The urge to spit out what he'd been thinking all during his mission earlier that day rose up. The words pressed at his tightly-shut lips, trying to get out. He bit them back.

_He's like, perfect_ and  _I think that's a pretty clear sign he's a keeper_ and  _Oh, he's not our boyfriend_ ran around his thoughts over and over until he reached something of a conclusion, right as he delivered the killing blow to a mako-enraged monster that had caused far too much destruction in too short a time. If he just  _told_ his boyfriends right now that he was interested in pursuing more than just friendship with Cloud, and that their wonderful evening together seemed like a turning point for all of them, yeah, there was a chance they would agree.

But there was the much more likely chance that someone wasn't into Cloud that way. They all liked Cloud, sure, and wanted to fuck him again,  _definitely_. But their relationship was perfect as four, and destabilizing it again, going through all the pain and slow picking-up-the-pieces that the last guy had caused them, was something no one wanted to do. In their relationship, everyone had to be on the same page. They had to be clear with each other.

If Zack said he wanted a relationship with Cloud and someone else said no, that would be  _it_. For the health and safety of the group, communication with Cloud would have to be cut off, at least for a little while.

The thought made his stomach flip again, but this time in a way that was so much worse.

"We should have him over again soon," Zack offered lightly, stretching out his legs. "He says he's cool with it. Maybe do a movie or somethin'. No awkward ShinRa parties this time."

The other three expressed their fondness for the idea. It soothed Zack's worries some, but not enough to air the rest of them out loud.

He would… wait. Give it some time.

Maybe he'd have a better idea of what the other three thought about him soon. He would try to gauge what they thought—if their relationship could expand, and Cloud Strife was something they could handle.

"I know a film he would like." Sephiroth seemed determined.

"Oh, no," Genesis argued. "None of your horrible comedies. We'll chase him off."

"He already said he isn't much into poetry," Angeal reasoned, "He probably won't be interested in any plays or operas, Gen."

Zack listened to them discuss how to best treat Cloud when he next came over. He felt it—a small glimmer of hope.


	7. Chapter 7

It was an impulsive decision, Genesis decided. The building in front of him was just as unimpressive as it had been the first time he visited. The outside was a dull, dirty brown; it seemed it had once been a cream color. The front sidewalk was more chips and scattered pieces than actual sidewalk.

It really wasn't much, yet here Genesis was, on a workday—and it had been a sudden thing, he told himself again. With multiple repetitions perhaps he would believe it.

Knowing that he hadn't been planning this for the past two days made him feel a bit better about it. No, he had not thought about the things he planned to say, no he had not worked extra hard the day before to clear up his schedule today, no he had not put an away message on his email and instructed someone to take his calls.

No, visiting his—their—dammit,  _the_ mechanic was not as big a deal as it seemed to be. Visiting Cloud was something easy, and free of stress.

Genesis snorted to himself and entered the auto shop. Familiar bells chimed as the door swung open.

Dirty, rumpled magazines. Stiff chairs, scratched and worn with use. That old wooden counter with the grimy, outdated computer. No one was here.

Genesis idled for a few minutes, poking around. The heels of his boots clacked loudly in the otherwise-silent space.

Eventually, he left. He did not lose his nerve, however. Rather than leaving and going back to HQ he tried again, this time walking around the side of the building to the bay doors. They were up, and he could hear the sounds of machinery. Good.

He ducked inside. The place was as full of cars and bikes as before. Cid Highwind was not present but a familiar figure sat on a small stool in the corner.

Genesis' steps slowed, until they stopped completely. Cloud wasn't quite facing him, and he had not noticed his presence. He took a moment to observe.

Cloud's shirt was sleeveless; it looked like the sleeves had been crudely cut off with scissors. It was dirty, like the rest of the establishment. The muscles of his arms were tense as he wielded a long pipe with hot flame coming out one end—a welding torch, Genesis was fairly sure it was called. He even had the frightening-looking rectangular metal hood pulled down over his face.

Cloud looked very legitimate. The bike he was working on wasn't much more than the frame and a few odd pieces. Cloud patiently welded away though, the front of his face shield awash in fiery blues and oranges.

Genesis knocked loudly on the hood of the nearest car. Cloud didn't even twitch. So he did it again, this time calling, "Hello?"

The flame stopped. Cloud turned to look towards him. The long-range visibility in those things couldn't be very great but Cloud recognized him. He flipped up the shield, his face splitting into a wide grin that Genesis wondered if he even knew he wore.

"Hello you," Genesis said, walking closer.

Cloud gave him something of a smirk, flicking his hair into his eyes. So cute, he was—and irresistible, too. Genesis hesitated briefly as he reached Cloud. Being unsure of himself, tiptoeing around his own thoughts… he didn't like it.

Cloud stood up fully and decided what to do for both of them. He drew Genesis into a brief, but firm hug, and gave him a smile. It was easy to understand why Zack was so taken with it.

"It's good to see you," he said, those blue eyes capturing Genesis'.

"…And you," Genesis murmured. He gave one of the spikes framing Cloud's face a small, affectionate tug. "I hope I'm not an imposition."

"Nah. We haven't had any customers today."

"Then what are you working on?" Genesis peered over Cloud's shoulder at the gutted motorcycle on the ground. Most of the parts were organized by type; it made no sense to him, but it looked methodic.

"Oh," Cloud said after a short pause, "Just a side project."

Genesis hummed. "Like Fenrir?"

"Yeah." Cloud pointed—across the garage, tucked into the far corner, was the bike. Genesis knew extremely little about motorcycles but he knew he liked this one.

He started towards it. Behind him, Cloud threw a sheet over his 'side project,' hiding it from view. Due to the crowd and the requisite socializing with Execs and big donors that night Genesis had not had a lot of time to study Cloud's personal bike.

"…It's marvelous," he said as he drew close, "Did I ever tell you that?"

It was slightly awkward between them, both of their postures stiff, their words too-loud. "I think you did," Cloud answered, "But I'm open to hearing it some more."

Genesis glanced at his companion, eyes glittering with approval. Cloud caught the look.

"I'm mostly working off of secondhand information here. I couldn't spend the time examining it—him—at the party. I heard he's equipped for combat."

"My swords can be stored in these compartments here, yeah." Cloud hit the release and they sprang out and open. Genesis blinked at the sudden movement. There were no swords present, so he took the time to reach inside and feel it out.

Doubtfully, he asked, "And this is easy and convenient to do while riding?"

Cloud gave him an odd look, so he elaborated: "Sephiroth and I were talking about this—how motorcycles could be offensive weapons, and not just a means of transport. It could revolutionize SOLDIER."

"It's easy for me," Cloud answered. He closed up the compartments, and indeed, it looked natural for him. "But I built it. I hated feeling defenseless whenever I left the city to deliver a part to another garage or whatever."

"And how is actually fighting? Swinging a sword while steering with one hand… it sounds unbelievably dangerous."

"It is."

Cloud said it so calmly, and without downplaying the risk. Genesis could appreciate that. "But you can learn," he continued. "I mainly dual-wield anyway, so it wasn't too difficult for me to get used to. The hardest thing is keeping your bike balanced with one or no hands on it, but you can practice."

"Angeal probably wouldn't be very good at it."

Cloud chuckled, running a hand down the shiny side of the vehicle. "He's the one who said he kept wiping out, right?"

"Yes. I saw him do it once. My heart was in my throat, but once I realized he only got a few scrapes it was hilarious."

Cloud grinned. Genesis sent him a wink.

"So…" Cloud began, "What's up? You just wanted to visit?"

Genesis straightened. His words came out sharp. "What—you don't want me here?"

Cloud's lips thinned as he pressed them together, nostrils flaring in anger. His upper one began to curl as he glared at Genesis. "That's not what I meant. You're purposefully being difficult."

The eye contact continued, and continued… until Genesis looked down at his boots. His scalp prickled with anger… but it was misplaced. "I know it isn't," he admitted, not quite a  _sorry_ but as close as he could get. "I'm an asshole."

Cloud studied him for a moment. "Sometimes," he said, shrugging. "Want to sit down?"

"Very much."

Cloud pulled out the stool he'd been using earlier and got Genesis another one. One leg was slightly shorter than the others. Genesis tried not to let the wobbling sour his mood.

"What's up?" Cloud asked again. This time he expected an actual response; they both knew it.

Genesis let out a tense breath. …Yes, he could pretend that he dropped by  _Highwind Auto_ on a whim, or that he was present because of some fluke… and while he could excuse that kind of behavior towards himself, Cloud Strife deserved better.

He reached out and folded his hand around Cloud's. It was calloused, even more than his, the result of hard manual labor as well as swordfighting. Cloud's thumb hooked around the fleshy area by his thumb and pressed comfortingly.

"…I missed you," he admitted after a long pause. "Quite a bit. I—was a bit jealous of the others, I suppose. They have all had the chance to spend time with you one-on-one, and I have not. And after that weekend with you… well. I decided I would like to set aside some time for the two of us."

Cloud did not respond right away, staring at their clasped hands. He was massaging Genesis' hand now with firm strokes of his thumb. Genesis' spine curled as he finally relaxed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, further into Cloud's space. Cloud soon murmured, "I'm glad you're here. I wanted to… see you again too. Just us."

"Good thing I came, then."

"Yeah."

The two men smiled at each other, both expressions hesitant and a little guarded but still there, and still visible to each other. Genesis had not known that such a big concrete room could feel so intimate.

"Have you been well?" Genesis asked. It was not a week and a half since Cloud had spent the evening with them. Zack, he knew, had obtained Cloud's 'cell' number over the weekend, and the two of them had been texting—Angeal as well. Both he and Sephiroth were not as fond as texting as the other two, though they participated in the group chat all four were in to give updates or send little flirts when the mood struck them. Genesis could have messaged Cloud, sure, but something held him back… this meeting here, right now, would change that. It had changed already.

Cloud had not done much that morning—a few customers and projects here and there, but generally business was pretty slow. He spent the check he got for attending the  _Innovation in Our Community_ shitshow on parts for his little side project. When Genesis asked about it, Cloud deflected.

It was slow enough that they had not been disturbed during Genesis' whole visit, in fact. His Uncle—thank the Goddess, honestly—was not around. When Genesis asked about Cid, Cloud glanced at his watch.

"He's on his lunch hour. Well, more like lunch two hours. He left… a little over an hour ago."

Genesis liked the sound of that. "If we're not in immediate danger of having a voyeur," he started, covering Cloud's hand with his other one, "I would like to kiss you."

They had been leaning in for a while now, and Genesis tilted his head, preparing to swoop in and capture that mouth again. He'd thought about it—and the rest of this man—more than he cared to admit. Rather than replying with words, Cloud cupped Genesis' jaw and angled in.

In the week and a half since Cloud had been in their bed Genesis' memory played tricks on him. It became hard to believe that Cloud's kisses had been as good as they had been, or that everyone's evening had been as 'magical' as they all claimed it was. Genesis began to doubt that a simple mechanic had managed to captivate them so effortlessly— _them_ , four First Class SOLDIERs in a  _very_ happy and exclusive relationship.

But when Cloud's tongue slid into Genesis's mouth, he remembered. It was meltingly good, and Genesis did not let them break off after that quick exploration; he hummed deep in his throat and coaxed Cloud into staying.

Any chasteness left quickly, and irrational passion hit Genesis like a behemoth. Their mouths crashed together again and again as they reunited. Cloud kissed Genesis freaking breathless and Genesis abandoned his stool. It clattered to the ground behind him but he hardly noticed it, focusing instead on climbing onto Cloud's lap.

His thighs were muscular and strong, supporting Genesis's weight with ease. Cloud approved of this, if the surprised but enthusiastic grunt into Genesis' mouth was any indication. Genesis skimmed his hands up the column of Cloud's throat until they could coast up into that soft hair.

Their little mechanic had him horny as hell almost instantly. It was absurd.

When Genesis drew back, gasping for breath and attempting to speak, Cloud chased him. Many kisses followed, wet and warm, until Genesis made himself rip his head away. He looked to the side, out at a wall covered in tools, and Cloud sucked at his pulse.

"Zack has this  _thing_ ," he sighed.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. It involves dirty, sweaty men. You in particular."

Cloud paused for a moment, then snorted inelegantly against his skin. Genesis hummed. "And it's clear I'm living his dream right now and he'll pout. However." He paused for dramatic effect; Cloud craned his neck back to look at him. His cheeks were flushed and his lips swollen. Lovely.

"I also have a 'thing' that concerns you, if you're interested."

Cloud grinned. "I'm flattered. Never thought multiple SOLDIERs would have a fantasy about me."

"Fanta _sies_ ," Genesis corrected. They'd all spent some time discussing the sex after Cloud went home, of course-as well as what else they wanted to do to him.

The cocky look on Cloud's face grew; the sight invigorated Genesis. "I think I know already what you're about to tell me."

"What?" Genesis scowled, even as his fingers on his right hand continued to pet, play, and fiddle with Cloud's hair and jaw. "Who told you?"

"Sephiroth," Cloud answered with ease. "Something about taking me over a car in the garage?"

"Oh," Genesis breathed, ducking his head to kiss him again. His lips tingled as he withdrew. "You're  _good_."

"Come on," Cloud said, done with the flirting. Genesis still sat on him, so rather than push him off Cloud just  _stood_ , his arms strong and sturdy underneath his thighs.

Genesis had not expected to be picked up, needless to say. His legs wrapped tight around Cloud's waist. The blond just laughed at the noise Genesis made and deposited him on the trunk of the nearest car. It previously had been hoisted up in the air but was now on the ground.

Genesis did not intend to stay here like this but it was awfully nice to hook his legs around Cloud's thighs and kiss him some more.

He'd noticed this when they'd all fucked but Cloud was an attentive and very giving lover. Both his hands cupped Genesis's face and he couldn't help but lean into them, like Cloud held the answers to all the maddening questions plaguing him lately.

One of those hands slid down Genesis's body. The SOLDIER belt was foreign to him so Genesis helped him out. He hissed through his teeth as Cloud's hand found his cock. The jolt of pleasure also came with a jolt of clarity.

Even though he was panting and straining against Cloud's hand already, he gently pulled on Cloud's arm, removing the contact.

Cloud looked worried. "What's wrong?"

"I have… to get permission," he grumbled, pulling out his PHS.

"Oh." Cloud looked momentarily surprised, but nodded. He respected their rules. Another point in his favor.

Sephiroth had a cell, but he was notoriously bad about answering it. He had an office phone. He was notoriously bad about answering that as well.

Genesis tried to think. This time of day, where would Sephiroth be…

He tried the office phone. It rang and went to the answering machine.

"Dammit," he swore as he hopped down off the car. His erection  _hurt_. He started to pace, hobbling a little; Cloud laughed at him. He tried Sephiroth's office again—this time he answered.

No one dared to try and call Sephiroth twice in a row, after all; they were all too afraid to annoy him. "Genesis," he greeted politely—he only probably looked to see who was calling after that second ring. "I visited your office with lunch, but you weren't there."

"Aww," Genesis cooed, "You're cute. Sorry I missed it, but—about that. I'm actually at Cloud's garage. I called because I'm asking if we can fuck."

It was inelegant, but it was to the point. Sephiroth's thoughtful pause did not last long. "Of course you can. Do you have protection?"

"Yes. I had a feeling this might happen."

"Alright. …Is Cloud nearby?"

Genesis eyed Cloud, casually sitting on his stool again and fiddling with his not-a-PHS.

"Yeah, he's here," Genesis drawled. "His boner isn't, not anymore."

Cloud's gaze flicked up to meet his. Genesis's grin grew.

"I would like to talk to him."

Sephiroth sounded… hesitant. Genesis wordlessly passed the phone over, his heart fluttering at the ridiculous cuteness of it all.

"Hello?" Cloud asked. The smile that bloomed on his face when he realized he was speaking to Sephiroth brought a smile to Genesis' face, too. They did not talk long, just a quick back and forth, but when Cloud handed his PHS back he was very happy—Genesis could tell.

"Have fun," Sephiroth rumbled in his ear. "I'll transfer you to Angeal. He's finishing up some reports in his office."

"Thanks. I love you."

"And I you."

Then came more ringing—and then Angeal's voice.

"I'm with Cloud and I'm here to ask if I can fuck him," he said right away. "Sephiroth just gave me his approval."

"Oh," Angeal said, confused but trying to keep up. "Uh—yes."

"Thank you, dear."

"Sure. Um—details, later?"

"You know it handsome. We'll do dinner."

"Call Zack's cell, he's out and about."

"Will do."

He made a face at Cloud as he dialed his third boyfriend. What a  _chore_ … though a necessary one. Cloud did not seem annoyed by the delay. He was making the most of it, actually, and shut the bay doors. He locked the door to the waiting room as well.

When Zack answered, he was out of breath and wind whipping past the receiver made him hard to hear. "Gen! Hey, baby!"

"Are you running?"

"Yup—! Overseeing some Third Class drilling. Performance review for the instructor."

"I'm with Cloud, and we're going to fuck, if I can get your permission. Sephiroth and Angeal already said yes."

The wind stopped. Zack must have slowed to a stop, wherever he was.

"Really?"

"Yes." Cloud was back now, and slipped his arms around him from behind. He was shorter, the perfect height to rest his lips against the back of Genesis's neck and press a kiss there.

"Hi Zack," Cloud called.

"…Hey, Spike. Yeah—have fun, Gen. Good on you for going to see him. Tell me about it later, okay?"

"Sure."

He said his goodbyes to Zack, and then shoved his PHS into his pocket with a suffering sigh. "My apologies," he said, leaning back against Cloud's body and covering the hands on his belly with his own.

"It's okay." Another kiss to the back of his neck. "I'd rather be sure it's okay before we do anything."

Genesis started to turn in his hold, and Cloud kissed him hello when he made it all the way around. Surprisingly that passion from before came back instantly—that initial sweet peck gave way to bones-and-soul-deep kisses with breathless gasps into the other's mouth. Genesis's hands cupped Cloud's face and he steered him backward, until he bumped into the trunk of the car. After a few nudges Cloud hopped up onto it. Genesis wasted no time; he pushed up that thin, stained shirt and ran his fingers and lips down his chest. The muscles there tensed and twitched at the ticklish feeling.

Cloud's hands were in Genesis's hair before he even got his mouth on his cock but that was still good—it meant he correctly guessed where he was headed. He unbuttoned his jeans, haphazardly pushed them down, and eased it out. Cloud was not hard yet but he quickly rectified that, alternating affectionate licks and kisses there with firm pumps of his hand. Cloud breathed his name once, twice—and that was  _exactly_ what he wanted to hear. The intensity of its effect on him surprised Genesis; his eyes were wide as he finally sucked down his cock.

Cloud's grip loosened until he flopped back against the rear windshield. His legs wrapped around the SOLDIER's head, thighs trembling with the effort to keep them up. His jeans were tangled around his ankles now, caught on his thick work boots.

"Shit," groaned Cloud. His eyes clenched shut, and his expression tightened further as Genesis swallowed around his erection, like he'd been wounded.

"Alright, alright," Cloud muttered hastily. Genesis grabbed at his hips, helping him down, then he pressed Cloud against the car again, chest down on the trunk. Cloud's ass was reddened from sitting on the metal and a squareish fleck of paint stuck to one cheek. Genesis brushed it away without a thought, and grabbed a handful of that enticing rear.

As expected, Cloud looked delicious like this, bent over with his ass popped out just so, ready for him. The car he was on was rusted, ugly, and so exceptionally shitty that Cloud shone even more radiantly in contrast. The smooth skin, the lined muscle, those cute dimples at the base of his spine…

Cloud pulled his shirt over his head and draped it over the edge of the trunk. Having your dick rubbing against rusted metal sounded awful, he had to agree. "Do you have stuff?" he asked as he got settled. "'Cause I don't keep condoms or lube in the garage."

"You  _don't_?" Genesis asked, kissing the curve of that bottom. "How strange of you."

Cloud's snort left him grinning. "And I do. With three partners sometimes you only have time for spontaneous encounters in… unusual places. I like to be prepared. But…" He hesitated, yet again—so unlike him. Cloud glanced at him over his shoulder.

"I wanted to… sleep with you. That's not  _why_ I'm here, but—" he dropped another kiss to Cloud's tailbone, "—I was hoping you'd be interested."

"Hm," was all Cloud said. He seemed genuinely thoughtful, and not judgmental. At any rate, he hiked up a leg to help Genesis' now-lubed fingers slip inside him. The tiny bottle in the SOLDIER's pocket boasted a warming sensation—he'd grabbed it random at the store—and Cloud hummed as Genesis worked his two fingers. "That feels kinda weird. Faster, Genesis. Fuck."

They did not have a lot of time, and too much had passed already.

He was careful but he multitasked, fucking Cloud on his fingers with full, satisfying pushes of his hand even as he stretched him. Cloud was damn well going to enjoy himself.

"You look so good like this," he growled. Naked, except for his boots, flushed and tensed, bent over that ugly car in his own garage… yeah, Cloud threatened to stop his heart.

"Fuck me already," Cloud answered. Genesis wanted to tease, but he did not have that luxury. His cock ached anyway—something about being here with Cloud and having this silly fantasy realized made him dizzy with want, and impatient.

His hands found Cloud's hips and lifted, pulled, pushed—manually moving him into position. And Cloud loved it. His forehead pressed to the glass of the rear windshield as Genesis rolled on his condom, lined himself up, and fucked into him.

The memory of Cloud being this tight and warm came back with shocking vividness. His mind had not tricked him this time;  _yes,_ Cloud was this damn good, and this damn talented, and this damn  _hot_.

His hips snapped forward, setting a pace that was satisfying for the both of them. Cloud arched his back and groaned, deep and throaty.

"Fuck, Genesis," he gasped. It was fast, it was dirty, it was rough—and it was  _good_. The position was a dream; Genesis could not deny the thrill he got seeing their handsome older mechanic like this. Bending over had him spread enough for Genesis to see the glistening pink ring of his hole stretching around him.

The pace of his thrusts picked up even more. He kept his hands on Cloud's hips, gripping hard, loving the feel of this and him.

Cloud was growling to him— " _Ugh_ , shit—! Genesis… that's it…"

Genesis gave it to him, with every intention of getting them both off as quickly as possible. That moment was soon.

Before they hit that point, however, the knob on the door to the reception area rattled. Genesis stilled, balls deep in his companion as Cloud raised his head like a Meer cat, gaping at the door.

"What the…?" They heard from the other side, very clearly.

"Oh shit," Cloud gasped, "My fuckin' Uncle."

Genesis was fully clothed other than being unzipped and his belt unlatched, but Cloud's pants were a dozen feet away and his shirt was currently protecting him from tetanus. Genesis was already laughing as he pulled out, jogging over to grab Cloud's jeans.

"He has a key," Cloud hissed—and indeed, the knob was rattling again, from Cid inserting his key.

They ran for a door on the far wall, and were out of sight by the time Cid made it inside the bay—but it was awfully close. Cloud led him up some rickety stairs to where he and Cid lived, clad in just his clunky boots, waddling from his hard-on, and  _pissed_. Genesis giggled uncharacteristically, and reached out to give Cloud a solid spank on that tempting ass as they entered the blond's room.

He only briefly processed the bike parts everywhere, the large sword leaning against the wall, and the smattering of posters. He reached for Cloud and the blond eagerly came to him.

They kissed in the middle of the room, grabbing each other's faces, bodies pressed close. Cloud would be injured if he used even a bit of his actual strength, but he pushed Cloud back to the bed with enough force to make him stumble. Cloud loved it.

Any attempt to look cool failed when he blindly stepped on one end of Cloud's skateboard and nearly fell over.

They both laughed, breathless, hard and aching, absolutely ready to finish this.

Genesis tossed Cloud onto his bed because he had liked it so much when Zack did it. He quickly shed his coat and kicked off his pants and boots. The belt fell to the floor but the turtleneck stayed on, because he'd had enough waiting. He had to get his cock inside Cloud  _now_.

Cloud hiked his knees up to his chest as Genesis crawled onto the bed. Genesis lined himself up, still achingly hard even after their sudden trip upstairs, and sank in.

There were just a couple exploratory thrusts, meant to loosen Cloud up again, and then they were going hard—fast, fast, with Cloud's nearly silent helpless little gasps drowned out by Genesis' louder hums of approval and the crash of Cloud's rickety bed frame hitting the wall.

Cloud's boots digging into his lower back hurt but not enough to dislodge them, or to pause even for a moment from this pleasure.

Cloud came without warning, the hand on his cock flying as he wrung out spurts of come. Genesis ground his hips into Cloud's, rocking them both as he followed him over the edge.

Cloud's legs unwrapped from his hips, and he finally kicked off his footwear. Genesis disposed of the condoms, chucked his turtleneck into the corner, stretched out the kink in his back, and fell gently on top of his companion.

And, surprisingly, he didn't move. Well, they both shifted a bit—up the bed, and beneath the blankets, but Genesis stayed pressed to Cloud's side, an arm thrown over his chest. He was absolutely a cuddler, and Cloud seemed pleased to oblige him.

Genesis tilted his head up, a smile on his lips, and Cloud kissed him.

"The others missed out," Genesis sighed. He nuzzled into Cloud's shoulder, letting him support some of his weight—Cloud could take it.

Cloud eyed him, all of that wisdom contained in that short form directed at him at once. Genesis swallowed. "Well—of course. I got a quickie in the middle of the day. They're in meetings or doing paperwork."

Cloud's gaze slid off him to rest on the ceiling. He didn't react—at all, just kept breathing, staring at the off-white paint.

"…Cloud," Genesis said after a minute of not-entirely-comfortable silence between them. "That came out wrong."

"No it didn't." Cloud shrugged. "That's what you came for—a fuck. I'm not disillusioned, like the last guy."

Hearing these familiar thoughts from Cloud's mouth made them so much worse than when he told them to himself, even if they were not true.

"Stop it. You're not  _just a fuck_ now, and you weren't last weekend, either."

Cloud's continued silence grew frustrating. Genesis clenched his jaw, about to yell—but he bit it back, and tucked his nearly-naked form closer to Cloud instead.

"…Genesis," Cloud eventually began, in the same cool tone as always. "I'm wondering what's up with you. Why you're always so… hot and cold."

"I'm what?" Genesis asked, nearly affronted.

Cloud finally looked at him. Like by the bike before, and when they first met, when Genesis insulted his attachment to his bike, he was unamused and unintimidated. No, Cloud Strife did not take his shit. "You know what I'm talking about."

And Genesis did. His gut churned with a panic he was not used to feeling, but yes. He tensed, as if to bolt, but Cloud's warm, strong arm was around him still, and urged him to relax.

"…I suppose I do," he admitted. Cloud continued to wait patiently.

"Not all of it is me being a dick to you specifically. It's who I am."

Cloud hummed in acknowledgement. Genesis frowned to himself, and pressed that scowl into Cloud's freckled shoulder. "However… at first I suppose I felt suspicious of you—Zack had that crush on you, and I went to investigate. Afterwards, it's been different, but… I feel like I have to be a little mean to you sometimes."

Cloud was confused, and rightly so. "Why?"

A shaky exhale fanned out over that soft skin. It was no joy to reveal this—he barely could to himself—but Cloud deserved to know. He rotated a bit, and hooked an arm over Cloud's tummy, holding him in return.

"I want to give you the world," he confessed. For a few long moments the only sound was Cloud's breathing, sure and steady.

Genesis continued. "And it makes very little sense to me. I hardly know you, yet… I feel strongly anyway. I did not just drop by for a quickie, or because I had a few free hours… I planned this for days." Genesis' cheeks reddened with the admission, one he'd been fighting all day. Luckily, Cloud could not see them.

Rather quietly, Genesis finished, "I forget myself, and sporadically I remember that I should not like you as much as I do, and then I suppose I… force myself to be mean to you."

If Cloud's heartbeat had been slow before, it raced now. "…Genesis." Cloud sounded awed. "What the hell am I supposed to think when you guys say stuff like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," Cloud said, and not for the first time that day.

Genesis didn't want to go further down that route. Instead, he grabbed Cloud's face and kissed him. The frantic devouring of each other from before was gone, replaced with a gentle, unhurried slide of lips and tongue. Genesis could lose himself in Cloud Strife… the man was consuming, an inescapable singularity in human form. It was the only explanation, the only reason why he was so drawn.

And it was a different sort of captivation from his other boyfriends too; they all had their own dynamic, but they were all SOLDIERs, and had similar lifestyles. He'd never anticipated rolling around in a civilian's bed again.

Yet here he was, groaning into a simple mechanic's mouth as a foreign, gentle hand caressed him back into hardness.

Except Cloud was not simple, and it had been presumptive and assholeish of him to assume that he would be.

Genesis rolled onto his back and used the strength of his legs, wrapped around Cloud's, to pull him on top of him. He smirked against Cloud's mouth.

The blond's attitude in bed had been unexpected, and a delightful surprise. Maybe it was because Cloud was older, or because of his cool attitude, but he'd thought Cloud would be utterly dominating in bed.

Cloud's  _I'm an easy-going guy and usually let my partner take charge. I roll with it_ seemed to fit him perfectly though, he'd discovered.

Cloud readily accepted the change in position, and knew what Genesis wanted him to do. The lube was in Genesis' pocket on the floor, but he had his own, and another condom in the bedside table, even if he had to rummage around for a little while.

The prep was slow and indulgent. Genesis made it no secret what he liked; he muttered and groaned out instructions and Cloud kept up gamely, crooking his fingers as requested.

They were so fucking compatible. It was just one thing on that checklist after another after another—it was all so fast, frankly, but that did not mean it was any less powerful or genuine.

Genesis gently maneuvered Cloud onto his back, and sank down onto him. When he took cock he liked to ride it, liked to see the results of his hard work, liked to call the shots. He was capable of some truly showy stuff but it made no appearance here. He wasn't even really riding Cloud with any sense of purpose—this was all gentle, sensual rotating of his hips.

His spine curved so he could brace his elbows and forearms beside Cloud's neck and kiss him. His hair hung down and Cloud tangled his hands into it, smiling hazily as he pushed it away from Genesis' forehead with infinite gentleness.

Rolling up and down on Cloud's cock was a new experience—he'd shatter if he went too hard, he didn't know exactly how he liked it best—but still a damn good one.

That first taste of Cloud had been delicious, and this second (or perhaps third) sampling turned out just as satisfying. They shared breath, hot and wet in the small spaces between their tangling tongues. Genesis groaned with gusto. The head of Cloud's cock stayed pressed against his prostate with his fluid shifts of his hips.

"Gen—esis," Cloud whispered. His eyes had closed, and the flush on his cheeks made him just…precious.

"I heard that," Genesis purred back, nipping at those pretty lips. "You can call me Gen if you want."

Cloud drawled, "Mr. Rhapsodos."

"You little brat."

"I'm  _older_ than you," Cloud protested, the second word coming out as a moan.

"My  _big_ brat," Genesis corrected.

It wasn't until he directed Cloud's hand down to his cock and his panting grew stuttery and labored that he realized he said  _my_.

He sat up fully and let Cloud jerk him off to orgasm. He clenched around Cloud and kept that same careful rhythm they'd had this whole time until it hit Cloud too.

When the softening cock slipped out of him, Genesis curled over Cloud and dragged his thumbs along those flushed cheekbones. "You're beautiful," he murmured, pressing his forehead to Cloud's.

Cloud sighed, "Gen."

There was a mess now, but they ignored it. Cloud spooned him, tucking his face into his neck, his soft cock resting affectionately against Genesis' ass. The SOLDIER pulled up the blankets around them.

Conversation was soft and indulgent, and tapered off before long. Cloud's breathing evened out behind him, and Genesis dug his face into the pillow, his eyes drifting shut.

Sometime in the middle of the afternoon Cid Highwind bellowed from the foot of the stairs, " _CLOUD!_ "

Cloud pushed Genesis off of him, who had instinctively moved to cover him at the unexpected loud noise, and stumbled to the door, tugging on a pair of sweatpants sitting on his dresser. Genesis wasn't listening to the yelled conversation, stretched out and dozing again in the bed, but he heard Cloud shout, "There's a  _naked man in my bed_ Uncle Cid—what do you want me to do about it!?"

He snorted, rolling over to watch the door. That question must have made Cid scatter, because Cloud stomped back in soon after, bedheaded and tousled. He crawled back into bed, settling next to Genesis above the covers.

"Sorry about that," he murmured, pressing his face into Genesis's clavicle.

"It's quite alright, dear."

"…I want you to stay. But I did sort of abandon my Uncle in the middle of the work day. We were asleep for almost two hours."

"That long?" Genesis stretched, and did not miss Cloud's eyes on his body. "That's far longer than I told my secretary I would be absent. I guess we're both in trouble."

"Naughty," Cloud said. He affectionately bumped his forehead against Genesis's, like a kitten—it left Genesis speechless and charmed. No, he didn't understand this.

They got dressed. The shirt Cloud wore previously was probably on the floor of the garage by the trunk of that car—Cid must have loved finding that, Cloud noted with a grin—and Genesis picked out a new one for him, nosily rooting through his dresser and closet. They kissed for a while against the door to the bedroom, Genesis's arms wrapped around Cloud's neck.

Outside, on that fractured sidewalk, they bade each other goodbye.

"Zack wants to invite you over again—he mentioned it to you, did he not?"

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

"Saturday is busy, but Sunday? You can stay the night again. We'll wake you up if you have things to do Monday morning."

"Okay."

Genesis kissed him one last time. "Okay. Get back to work on your silly machines."

"Have fun working for the shittiest company on the Planet."

"I will."

They both cracked grins, and then Cloud went back inside the shop. Genesis felt reassured as he returned to HQ. Labeling his own visit to Cloud's home had been difficult, but Cloud coming by again was a definite plan. He very much looked forward to it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is being posted as part 3/9 of my 'Cloud's Birthday Week 2k15' challenge over on tumblr. Thanks for all the support on this fic so far, everyone. :)

 

The Hewley family lived in poverty for a great many years. It wasn't until Angeal left for Midgar and ShinRa and began sending money back to his mother that their quality of life improved. Well, that was until she passed away, at least. But while growing up, things had not been easy.

Poverty was never anything to romanticize and his childhood deserved to be treated with all the solemnity it deserved, but when he saw the slums of Midgar, Angeal could not help but compare the two environments, and conclude that perhaps the folks here had it… even worse.

Not that determining who had it worse was the point—but the trash on the side of the road, the darkness, and the hollow-eyed, suspicious looks of the locals made Banora come back in vivid color. He and his mother had not possessed more income than these people but they had fresh air, at least… he'd had sunlight, and warm dirt, and Genesis.

It was difficult being in the slums sometimes, especially because, other than the Keepers, most folks didn't approve of his presence at all. He already received more than a few shady looks, seated on a bench outside the Sector 4 train station.

He was out of uniform but was recognizable enough. The eyes gave him away, and his face on a promotional poster one block down even more so.

The flowers in his hands, instead of a sword, indicated he was not here on business, but he could hardly blame anybody for being suspicious of him.

He waited patiently, slightly bouncing one knee. Cloud arrived when he was supposed to, waving as he turned the corner. He walked rather self-consciously as he got closer, meeting Angeal's eyes—it was cute.

Angeal stood to greet him, and held out the bouquet in his hands as he grinned. "Hello, Cloud."

"Angeal. Hi." Cloud fought a smile as he accepted his gift.

"Those are all for you this time."

Cloud laughed—his cheeks were slightly pink. The flowers and the early arrival had been good ideas. Angeal was kind of proud of himself.

The next train was in twelve minutes, and they waited for it together. Small talk for the first few minutes was slightly awkward, but Angeal was not the best at it out of all his partners for no reason. The tension quickly drained from Cloud's form and that nervous smile shifted into something more natural.

He had a bag over one shoulder and Angeal fiddled with the strap where it draped over his broad shoulder, though it was mostly so that he could touch him. "What's in there?" He asked, as if he didn't know already.

"Clothes," Cloud answered. "I have a feeling I might be sleeping over somewhere tonight, or something."

"Why would you think that?" Angeal was just teasing, and wrapped an arm around his companion, jostling him slightly to show he wasn't serious. "You were so cute in Gen's pajamas before."

"Can't risk any of you thinking I'm that cute again. I need a bit of mystery."

"There's plenty we don't know about you," Angeal mused, squeezing Cloud's upper arm slightly. "But we're set on fixing that."

Cloud exhaled slowly, not responding. Angeal worried whenever Cloud got so introspective, and thought so hard—it never seemed like he was thinking anything positive. That worry spiked when Cloud moved, dislodging the arm around his shoulders, and disappeared completely when Cloud then grabbed his freed hand. Down at their sides, their fingers twisted together.

When the train arrived, they moved through the aisle of one so they could get to the end car, which was empty other than an elderly woman at the far end, asleep against the window. Cloud said he got sick on trains so Angeal let him have the window seat, pulling Cloud's bag onto his lap. Cloud's hand, still clasped with his and resting on the top of Angeal's thigh, was very warm.

"So how have you been?" Angeal asked, shifting slightly, leaning into more of Cloud's warmth. Cloud's lips spread into a smile as Angeal caged him in against the window. His hands carefully held the bouquet, keeping the flowers away from the window or the back of the seat in front of them. Aerith had been thrilled to see him again. She knew most of the details about what was going on with Cloud from Zack already, but enjoyed the story from Angeal's point of view as well.

In the few days since Genesis had visited Cloud had gone on a delivery, he said, to the nearest city.

"On Fenrir, I presume."

"Of course. I haven't had the chance to ride him in a while."

"Was it nice to get out?"

"Definitely. Sometimes it's easy to forget even what the sun looks like, you know?"

Angeal lived above the plate, but sun was still hard to come by in Midgar; the smog mostly obscured it. He remembered the warmth of the Banoran apple orchards again.

"It's unfortunate."

"Yeah. Granted, I got kind of burnt when I was out 'cause I don't get as much sun as I used to, but it was still a good time. Haven't gotten any EXP in a while, either."

"You close to levelling up?" Angeal asked as he gently pulled at the neck of Cloud's t-shirt.

"Yeah. Another trip out of the city and it'll happen, probably." The skin of his shoulders was an angry red and peeling; Angeal tsked, concerned.

Perhaps Cloud would let them Cure him when they arrived at HQ… he did not have any materia on him, and Genesis was the only one who could cast without them. He leant in and kissed the skin of Cloud's throat, which was now slightly tanned but not burnt. Cloud had a slew of new sun freckles, in fact—they were too cute.

To his surprise, Cloud tilted back his head and purred deep in his throat. Angeal's kiss turned a little firmer, just for a moment, and Cloud's hand tightened around his.

Angeal drew back and considered his friend. Cloud smirked at him, and leant in to kiss him right on the lips. "It's a shame we can't really get more time to ourselves."

Angeal looked around—they were still alone, except for the snoozing woman. Her back was to them as well. "Mm," he agreed, twisting around in his seat to see how secure their train car was. "They're planning dinner to be ready as soon as we get back. I'd take you out on a date if we had the time, but at least we get a train ride together, hm?"

Angeal nearly bit his tongue in half after he realized what he said— _date_. True, he could have meant it in just a friendly way, and not as an  _actual_ date. It depended on how Cloud would interpret it… but regardless, he should not have let something like that slip, not without having discussed it extensively with his boyfriends.

Cloud smoothed over the hiccup by retracting his hand from Angeal's and using it to guide him in.

For someone who had never had anyone watch him fuck before two weeks ago, Cloud was very into this exhibitionism thing. Or perhaps just the threat of it—there was no one around to witness as Cloud eased open the fly of Angeal's jeans and reached inside, massaging his soft cock through his underwear.

Angeal hummed against the fluttering pulse in Cloud's neck. "Someone's a little…randy."

Cloud chuckled; he  _knew_ how damn attractive he was and how much Angeal wanted to take him again, and in even more ways he had already.

"You can't blame me," he said, his strokes turning firmer as Angeal's cock grew, blood rushing to the area. "Of course I'm excited about doing this again."

"Mm." Angeal trailed gentle kisses to Cloud's mouth, flicking his tongue out against Cloud's bottom lip.

Angeal slid an arm around Cloud's waist, pushing up his t-shirt to pet the warm, soft skin there. He growled appreciatively as Cloud continued to tease him.

The lights then flashed as the ID check began. They kissed through the length of it, but a number of people got on at the next stop, and they had to regretfully disengage.

Angeal mock-glared, hard and straining painfully in his jeans; Cloud just shrugged at him, fighting a smile. "You're going to get it," Angeal growled into the blond's ear, ending his statement with a peck to the shell of it.

When they emerged in Sector 8 Angeal shouldered Cloud's bag, ignoring his protests. He was far too burnt to be carrying that thing if he didn't have to.

"Anything exciting happen at ShinRa lately?" Cloud asked as they strolled towards HQ, a comfortable atmosphere between them now.

"Missions. The details are classified, I'm afraid—but other than that… broke my arm yesterday."

"Really?" Cloud's eyes widened and he placed his hand on Angeal's arm.

The SOLDIER rotated it and flexed, proving that he was back in top shape. "I was Cured, but it  _hurt_. We have a virtual reality training room, but sometimes the injuries are… very real," he finished awkwardly, realizing he sounded like a movie announcer.

"Magic is really something, huh."

"Mm. The others decided I deserved to relax for a bit, which is why  _they're_ cooking dinner, and I'm the lucky one picking you up."

"I'm glad it's you."

"Really?"

Angeal had not meant to let so much incredulousness bleed into his voice, and Cloud did not let it slide. "Why do you say it like that?"

"Oh." Angeal rubbed the back of his neck. He looked off to the side, at a strip of bustling Sector 8 shops, and then back at Cloud, who held his gaze. "I just thought you were more drawn to the others."

Cloud frowned. "No, what did I do to give you that idea?"

"…I don't know." Angeal shrugged, now self-conscious in a way he wasn't usually—or in a way he usually tried to hide. "I guess you didn't."

It was highly embarrassing to admit that it had been in his head, but Cloud did not make him feel worse about his small complex.

"That's not the case," Cloud said simply, shrugging. "See, the thing I like most about you is what you just did—speak your mind. You get to the point. That's great."

Angeal nodded and, hypocritically, bit his tongue. He remembered how none of this would have happened without him being just as Cloud described. Zack and Genesis spent so much time talking about the mystery mechanic but weren't talking about actual  _action,_ so he rectified that.

He laid it out clearly for Cloud; they wanted to fuck him. Casual sex was something they had not done in a while, but time had healed them all, and Cloud was the right mix of engaging, unthreatening and fresh for them to try it again—and it had been a great experience. Angeal was very, very glad he'd mustered the courage to get this whole thing rolling.

But at the same time… there were more things he wanted to say, both to Cloud and to his boyfriends—but it wasn't all so easy. Or the right time.

"That's good to know," Angeal said lightly. "I appreciate that about you as well."

"…Yeah," Cloud answered, sounding as shifty as Angeal felt.

Rather than dwell on it, conversation shifted to SOLDIER as the tower came into view. It was a touchy subject, Angeal knew, but he was curious what Cloud thought about the program. When Cloud applied for ShinRa's military SOLDIER hadn't existed yet, so it couldn't have been his goal… but it was a tricky situation.

Luckily, Cloud smiled as he considered his question. It wasn't very wide, but Cloud was amused, and not upset. "Did Sephiroth tell you how I hated him for years?"

Angeal's eyebrows rose. "No, he didn't."

"I was bitter about not making it into the military," Cloud shrugged. "Then Sephiroth appears, poster boy for the company… and I needed someone specific to resent, I guess."

"I understand. I'm sure Seph doesn't hold it against you."

"No, he got it too."

"I don't know for  _sure,_ but I'm going to  _guess_ that you don't hate him anymore?"

Cloud did not respond with words, but the fond look he sent Angeal spoke volumes on its own.

The SOLDIERs walking around seemed to make Cloud curious as well. Angeal caught him twisting around to watch a group of Seconds pass by in the lobby. "It's just weird," he said, as he followed Angeal into the elevator. "I haven't really seen many SOLDIERs up close—it's the infantry who polices the slums."

"I bet," Angeal said sympathetically. Two Thirds got on a few floors up and saluted Angeal respectfully as they entered; Angeal acknowledged it, then told them to relax. Business was the last thing on his mind this night. Luckily they were only going up two floors. When the elevator was empty again Angeal wrapped an arm around Cloud's waist and pulled him close, realizing only once Cloud's hand settled in his back pocket against the curve of his ass that he had done so on autopilot. He was a cuddler, and very touchy when it came to his boyfriends… but only in private. He'd never gotten handsy with a friend on a train or been this gently affectionate in such a public spot in… ages.

True, his relationships with the other three were largely under wraps. Some SOLDIERs knew but not the general public (although their fanclubs did some intense speculating on their forums). On one hand Angeal didn't care as much if anyone discovered them, and on the other hand… well. He'd just wanted to get his hands on Cloud again. Badly.

The whole situation required a lot of consideration, consideration he'd purposefully been avoiding. He exhaled tightly, his jaw tense—Cloud's soft spikes tickling his neck and the warm satisfaction he felt as their bodies slotted together just right drained the tension from his body.

They fell quiet, peacefully holding each other until they arrived at Genesis' floor. Cloud's warm hand cupped around his gave him the strength he needed to knock with his head held high; he was ready to face his boyfriends, and whatever this evening would bring.

Zack answered. He was all smiles already—warm and loving for him, and goofy and slightly shy for Cloud—and Angeal couldn't help but draw him into a kiss in the doorway.

"Hey, big guy," Zack murmured, sliding an affectionate hand down his chest. He drew Cloud into a noogie, which Cloud tolerated for about half a second before shrugging him off.

"Don't come into the kitchen!" Genesis called. "Seph fucked up!"

"It was an accident," Sephiroth protested, sounding… petulant.

"He did it on purpose," Genesis yelled. Angeal couldn't see him but he could imagine his expression. "He wanted to see me on my hands and knees cleaning up this  _Gaia-damned mess_."

Cloud chuckled, but Sephiroth sounded anything but amused as he responded, very clearly, "I would not have spilled that if you had been less careless with the pot."

"…And I'm gonna go defuse that," Zack said, rolling his eyes. "Go sit, you two. Get comfy, okay?"

They sat in the living room, Angeal perching across from Cloud instead of beside him like he wanted, so someone else would get the chance to spend some time with him. Cloud relaxed into the couch after Angeal took his flowers, depositing them into a vase. They stared at each other for a long moment, and then Cloud smiled at the same time as him. It wasn't quite a nervous giggle they shared, but it was close.

"Must be kind of weird being back here," Angeal noted.

"A little. Good thing I'm not—" Cloud raised his voice, "— _dusty this time_."

Genesis heard him, and his voice came back, "Better not be. I'll be forced to bathe you or something."

"As if any of us would object to that," Angeal muttered, crossing his arms. Cloud grinned at him.

Zack joined them after another few minutes. He slung an arm over Cloud's shoulders, all easy, unashamed affection. Cloud indulged it, as he always did, smiling gently as Zack failed yet again to hide his crush.

"What's for dinner?" Cloud asked, scratching Zack's scalp as the SOLDIER snuggled into his side.

"A whole buncha stuff. I'm in charge of dessert—made ya a Gongagan specialty. Fried ice cream. Well—I didn't fry it yet, 'cause ya gotta eat it, like, immediately after. But I will."

"How do you fry something like that?"

"It needs a shell—of like, pretzel pieces or cornflakes or something. So that's the part that gets all crispy but it's still all cold on the inside."

"Huh." Cloud looked impressed. Zack sent Angeal a look—he was so  _proud_ of getting Cloud's approval like that. Angeal couldn't help but laugh, his heart somersaulting in his chest with love.

"Come sit with us, Ang." Zack lifted an arm and Cloud did too. He was helpless to resist, and went to them.

He spooned up behind Zack, his wonderful kind friend with his heart on his sleeve. His back was broad and warm, and Angeal coasted his hand down Zack's arm, covering the back of his hand with his palm, then curled his fingers down in the spaces between Zack's.

"So I heard Genesis paid you a visit," Zack said, grinning wolfishly when Cloud scratched his cheek self-consciously. "He said you two had a pretty good time."

"'Pretty good?'" Cloud sniffed. "He's downplaying it. You should've heard all the moaning he was doing. I'd be embarrassed for him if it wasn't so good for my ego."

Angeal burst out laughing, letting his head drop to Zack's shoulder.  _Damn_ —he'd told Cloud as much while they were all fucking, but he loved it when he put Genesis in his place. Even when Genesis wasn't around to hear it was still excellent.

Speaking of, his best friend came out to join them. His beautiful, dazzling love bent to greet Zack hello with a kiss on the cheek, then Angeal himself, and after the shortest pause, Cloud as well.

"I put a lot of work into this meal," he said, "You better fucking like it."

A familiar head appeared almost ominously in the entranceway from the kitchen. Genesis peeked over his shoulder at Sephiroth, and then sighed. " _We_ both worked very hard on this."

"And you know what the best part is?" Zack asked. "Angeal didn't help out even a little bit."

"No he didn't." Genesis cupped Angeal's face in his hands, running soft palms over the stubble there, almost a full beard. He'd let it go for a few days. Angeal leant into his hands like a cat. "Cloud, did he tell you he broke his arm yesterday?"

"He did."

Genesis cooed at him and Zack ran a hand down his arm, saying, "It was pretty ugly, too. I was there. We ordered him to take it easy."

"And I did." Angeal pressed a kiss to Genesis' fingers and settled a little more heavily against Zack's side. It had been pretty nice having them pamper him for a day.

Genesis smiled at him, fond. "It looks like you went to see Aerith to buy  _this one_ —" he tugged at one of Cloud's spikes, "—flowers. We could have done that for you if you had asked!"

"It wasn't work," Angeal defended, "It was a relaxing trip. She and I had tea. It doesn't count."

Luckily they were not able to debate it any longer, as Sephiroth announced they could come into the kitchen. The table inside was all…  _fancy_. Genesis had a tablecloth, it seemed.

"Wow," Angeal said, his hands on his hips as he found his seat beside Sephiroth, "Look at this."

"You're going to embarrass them," said Zack, pulling out Cloud's chair and ushering him into it. Such a gentleman, his Zack.

"Yeah, shut up, you," Genesis griped, though he winked. Genesis loved to cook the most out of all of them, though due to schedules Angeal made group meals more often than not. Sephiroth was the decorator, having discovered a passion and talent for organization and presentation in the past few years. He eyed the vegetable platter near Zack and grabbed Sephiroth's hand beneath the table.

His gorgeous, vulnerable boyfriend had been very quiet—more so than usual. He was nervous. Angeal rubbed the back of his hand with his thumb, trying to soothe him. Honestly, Sephiroth did not have to worry. Cloud was extremely taken with him, that much was obvious…to everyone but Sephiroth, perhaps.

Angeal looked back at the table, and another wave of adoring adjectives and asides swelled in his chest—Gaia, he'd had a spectacularly cheesy last half-hour. It was hard not to be like that, however, when everybody around him was so lovely and… full of affection and... trying so hard…

Angeal took a deep breath. Get it under control, Hewley.

The others were already shoveling food onto their plates (SOLDIERs could admittedly eat quite a lot) and talking. They told Cloud they were going to cook him dinner a few days ago, of course. He probably had not expected all the work Sephiroth, Zack and Genesis put into it… nor the soft lighting, nor the undeniable feeling of  _romance_ in Genesis' apartment.

Is that what they were doing? Romancing Cloud Strife?

Angeal was not sure, and he did not like not being sure. He wished he had asked, before picking him up at the train station with flowers and a fancy group dinner, but now… it was almost too late.

Luckily, there was quite a bit Angeal could distract himself with. That day Cloud had gotten into an argument with another mechanic in Sector 2. The other mechanic had given one of their customers a "super shitty" tune-up, and then fed them misinformation about what had been done. The customer went to  _Highwind Auto_ to correct what was done, and then when Cloud ran into the 'rival' mechanic at a parts distributor, there for some rarer pieces for some special project of his, Cloud had been unable to resist defending his customer, calling the other mechanic out.

Apparently there had been yelling and cursing—mostly on the other man's side, Cloud said, but he dropped a few bombs himself.

"You're the protector of the weak," Zack grinned, "That's pretty sexy."

Cloud scratched his cheek, bashful, but shrugged a shoulder. "I can't let him get away with taking advantage of people like that. Most people don't know much about their vehicles, so they don't know when they're being scammed or get shitty parts."

"How did you learn, anyway?" Angeal asked. He had to swallow halfway through his sentence and start over—they always said they couldn't hear him when he spoke with his mouth full, despite it making perfect sense to him.

Cloud watched him with his nose slightly scrunched and his eyes curved into half-moons, like he was… cute or something. "I read a lot of books, mostly. Must've checked out every related book at the local library twenty times each. There were a few totaled cars at the dump, but only ever one bike."

Angeal imagined Cloud, young and impassioned, studiously reading a book about bike transmissions and whatever the hell else at a rickety desk. Perhaps he called his uncle for help when he had questions.

"I enjoy doing that," Sephiroth said. Everyone turned to him, interested—out of everyone, he was the least likely to offer this sort of information, his likes, dislikes, and thoughts. He realized he had everyone's attention and clarified, "Picking a subject I know nothing or very little about, and reading about it. I've learned a lot on mission transports."

"And I read fiction when I'm traveling," Genesis said, excited. "We're made for each other, dear."

Genesis' happiness at having something in common with Sephiroth was adorable.

Zack, who had been watching everyone this whole time with a soft smile on his face that he couldn't hide, asked, "What have you been reading lately, babe?"

Sephiroth thought, twirling some noodles around on his fork. "Since speaking with Cloud about the subject, space."

"Ooh, really?"

"Yes. Astronomy, physics… it is fascinating, once you understand the basics. It seems like much of what we think about the universe changes the farther away we get from Gaia." He glanced at Cloud and their gazes caught and held as they shared a look, no doubt remembering a conversation they shared.

"I dunno, guys," Angeal said, needing to break up the  _moment_ they were all sharing, this gentle intimacy cocooning everyone at the table, " _Famous Gardens Monthly_ is the pinnacle of literary works. You're all missing out."

They all laughed, like he wanted. They ate until everyone had a stomachache and the serving platters were scraped clean. Genesis told Cloud, when the mechanic praised the sauce he had made, how he invented Banoran apple juice and won an award for it.

Every single one of them  _bragged_ so much around Cloud, beat their chests and postured and tried to get his attention. It was funny, but it was confusing. Briefly, Angeal wondered if the others were aware, as he was, that they were doing it.

Zack ushered them out of the kitchen so he could prepare dessert. Back in the living room, Angeal sat in the corner of the couch and outstretched his hands for Sephiroth. When the man settled back against his chest Angeal folded his hands together on Sephiroth's belly and even hooked a leg around him too, stretching it out along the length of the couch. Opposite them, Genesis seemed happy to snuggle into Cloud's side when Cloud offered an arm.

This whole situation was  _ridiculous_ , Angeal thought, as the four settled into comfortable, full, and slightly-sleepy silence. They tried too hard to impress Cloud when it wasn't even necessary… they hardly knew him, yet here he was, an effortless addition to their group.

He wanted—needed—to call them out on it. He bit his lip, choking it back. He refused to be the one who ruined this, who made his lovers upset and made Cloud leave (because there was surely no way they all wanted what he wanted, which was, well… for Cloud to stay. And for a lot longer than one night, or for a weekend).

His SOLDIER metabolism processed his dinner enough in those twenty or so minutes for him to be able to enjoy Zack's creation. It was melty and crunchy and fun; Zack entertained them all with stories of things he'd done that week. Then Genesis made Angeal ache with nostalgia with tales of home, of fiddling with apples as he figured out the best way to get them to release their juice as Angeal dozed in a blanket in the warm grass outside, and of sharing sweet, sticky kisses in the large kitchen in his home. Cloud had not been fond of his hometown, he said, but even he started to recall some fond memories. He'd had his mother with him in those days as well…

"You'd like Gongaga," Zack said. "It's hot, but there's lots of places to swim. You like to swim?"

"Never have. S'too cold in Nibelheim."

"Maybe you can tag along next time I go. I'll teach ya."

"Okay," Cloud said, easily enough, though Angeal did not miss the look that flashed across his face when Zack looked away—that conflicted expression was mirrored on his own.

There were several ways this evening could end, and they previously discussed all of them. Sex with Cloud again was almost a given—they were  _all_ down for that. It was not often that the four of them did that sort of thing all together like that, and fucking Cloud Strife had been a great experience for all of them.

But they'd—after a  _long_ debate—picked out a movie for all of them to watch, if Cloud wanted to watch a film. There were board games, and Angeal had even agreed to play for an evening, even though he loathed the things.

They had a proposition for Cloud though, even though there wasn't any pressure…

"Spike," Zack said, after he collected Cloud's bowl. "We don't have to, but I figured since you're here again… do you feel up to taking a look around, like you said you wanted to, that one time?"

Cloud looked around, as if confirming no one would be annoyed. Angeal smiled gently, trying to convey that they genuinely wanted Cloud to experience this, to get a bit of closure he'd needed for so many years.

"I think I can handle it," he said eventually.

Angeal almost breathed a sigh of relief. That meant no board games.

"Okay." Zack nodded, and stood. "It's kind of an off hour. It shouldn't be too busy or crowded or anything."

Cloud just nodded. He fell quiet as everyone pulled on their boots and left the apartment, but it was not a sad silence, just an introspective one. His pretty blue eyes flickered over everything as they travelled to the infantry wing, cataloging and observing.

This part of the building bustled at all hours, at least compared to SOLDIER, but it was quieter than usual, as Zack predicted. A few people saluted them, despite everyone wearing civvies, but most did not. Most wouldn't have done so if they were in uniform anyway.

"There is a rivalry between SOLDIER and the infantry," Genesis told Cloud as they strolled through the wing. The halls here were smaller, darker, less well-kept. A few overhead lights flickered ominously.

The infantry's numbers were far larger, and the facilities were designed with that in mind. Individual lockers lined the walls like a middle school. Cloud ran a hand down one, fiddling with the rotating combo lock. Upstairs, SOLDIER lockers in the showers had locks keyed to their ID cards.

"Everything I owned would have had to fit into one of these?" Cloud asked softly.

Sephiroth ran a soothing hand down Cloud's spine. "You would have been permitted a small box to keep beneath your cot for your uniforms, but other than that… yes."

They walked past the barracks, long, rectangular stretches of concrete packed with tiny cots. "That's a lot different from the apartments you guys get," he noted.

A tad uncomfortably, they agreed. Men and women were all over the place, sitting crosslegged in circles on the ground playing cards or writing letters. Unconsciously or not, Cloud pressed close to them, occasionally bumping arms or elbows as he strayed too close to the side, his attention on the ceiling or walls or a certain room.

Angeal wasn't sure if Cloud's close proximity meant he was anxious or not, but he copied Sephiroth's earlier gesture anyway, gently rubbing Cloud's back. The blond shot him a grateful look as they went into one of the emptier gyms.

There were a few people lifting weights in the corner, and two infantrywomen practicing their hand-to-hand on a mat. Cloud surveyed it all with his hands on his hips, turning in a slow circle in the center of the room.

"There are quite a few of these." Genesis scuffed his sneaker against the floor, covered in dark streaks from a hundred other scuffs. "They are all pretty similar, though this one is on the smaller side."

Cloud drifted to a rack on the side of the room. It held a few materia, but they were dull and one even had a crack. Two—the Barrier and Esuna, Angeal noted—were dusty, as if no one cared enough to use them.

Cloud rolled a Thunder around in his hand. "Where are the swords?"

"There aren't," Zack answered.

Cloud looked up sharply, his mouth pulled into a harsh frown. "What?"

Genesis explained. "The Infantry primarily uses guns. They're cheaper, and the company simply doesn't have the resources to invest hundreds of hours into swordfighting for every member of the infantry."

Cloud gently returned the materia. "What if they want to use one?"

"They can't. In almost all cases, anyway. If you come to the company with considerable swordfighting experience already, perhaps. But generally, the unenhanced are…"

"Just in the way of you guys," Cloud finished.

Awkward silence confirmed his statement.

They poked their heads into an office, a lounge, the Infantry mess hall, and a few other spots. Cloud eyed the blue-clad folks walking around, pondering it all. They let him process, looking and touching and studying until he slowed to a stop and said, "I've seen enough."

So they left. Zack guided them out, back to the elevator.

"It's weird," Cloud murmured as they filed in. "I wanted it so badly, and for so long. But in some ways it's what I thought it would be like, but a lot of it…"

Cloud sounded troubled, and Angeal could tell no one else blamed him either.

"Do you want to go back yet?" Zack asked. He rocked back on his heels, uncertain—there had been a lot of it in the old days, when Angeal was Zack's mentor when he was first learning how to use a sword. Cloud just shrugged. "'Cause if not," he continued, "I have an idea. Another little somethin' to do before we head back."

"I'm game," Cloud decided after thinking it over briefly.

Zack glanced at him; it was  _that_ plan then. He was a fan of this one, which Sephiroth had originally suggested. Instead of going back up Zack took them down—deep down, to the basement levels. Research and the rest of Hojo's domain stretched on and on down here, but there were a few other facilities throughout.

Cloud, who previously had looked glum, and was deeply immersed in his thoughts, snapped out of it as they exited the elevator and passed a concrete overhand that read  _GARAGE_. He looked at all of them in turn, his eyes bright.

Angeal hid a grin, striding forward so Cloud was behind him. Sephiroth looked very pleased. Angeal took his hand as they walked. There was no one down here who would give them any trouble for it; it was out in Midgar they needed the caution.

They passed rows upon rows of parked transports. Some were big, with room for twenty or so people in the large, open back area. There were many trucks as well, mostly identical. Cloud made a few comments about them as he passed, but they were not what he was excited about. "Where are they?" he asked.

Angeal knew what Cloud was talking about, of course. "Down this way." They turned to the left and followed a long aisle of tall, silent trucks to the back of the garage, where the lights were spaced farther and farther apart and flickered. The motorcycles were parked in long rows, tucked away, and looked as neglected as Cloud already understood them to be. This part of the garage was empty and cold; their footsteps and voices echoed, disrupted only by a crackly radio from a small workspace in a far corner.

Cloud outstretched his arms and gently rested his hands on the first bike. It was an older model than any of them had—Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal did not get their bikes upon becoming SOLDIERs, as the initiative hadn't been thought of at that time. It took a couple years.

Cloud's careful fingers traced the handlebars, the spring forks, the brake cable… trailed over the seat to the gearshift and pedal and muffler.

"…What a piece of shit," Cloud said after a pause, crouched down on the balls of his feet.

Zack let out a loud laugh that reverberated off the low, gray ceilings. "Don't kick it over," he warned. Cloud didn't answer, already moving on to the next one. If he had pushed it, the whole row would have been knocked over like dominoes.

They watched him feel them out, lifting up seats, squinting, and moving with such an ease through it all that Angeal couldn't not be impressed.

"This one is mine," Sephiroth said as Cloud neared a bike with '33' stenciled on the back, wedged between 34 and 31 (32, he noted, exploded in a fiery ball somewhere outside Bone Village).

The difference in the way Cloud handled the bike made Angeal ache. He felt out the frame of it, his touches so painfully gentle… he gave Sephiroth's bike all the care he would have given Sephiroth himself. Angeal noticed it—he glanced at Sephiroth; he noticed it too. Zack and Genesis watched Cloud work with similar expressions.

Abruptly Cloud stood. He squeezed past them and wordlessly began striding towards the small office in the corner, lit by one bare, swinging bulb. Inside there was a man asleep at his desk.

"Oh shit," Zack said, bringing a fist to his mouth. "I think he's going to pick a fight with another mechanic."

This wasn't high school; they had no interest in ganging up on the poor guy. Enhanced hearing and sight were sometimes gifts, however, and they gave Cloud most of their attention as he knocked on the doorframe.

The mechanic woke up with a great jolt. ShinRa contracted two outside workers for the motorcycle job; they were not SOLDIERs, nor Infantry, like some of the rumors went.

Cloud was polite at first, saying hey, making small talk. Then he said he was concerned about the state of the bikes.

The mechanic took offense to that, and while the conversation stayed civil for a minute longer it soon spiraled into outright anger.

"You're the one responsible for these  _shitty ass bikes_ out there?" Cloud asked, and Genesis snorted.

Eventually Cloud's direct, brutal questions about the rusty engines and fraying cables were too much. "What do you care anyway?" the man asked, "No one even rides the damn things."

"Doesn't matter." Angeal saw Cloud, through the grimy glass, shake his head. "If someone  _does_ decide to ride one, and they're on some piece of junk, and it stalls or falls apart or  _combusts_ on an important mission, that's on  _you_."

Zack murmured, "You tell 'em, Spike." The look on his face as he watched Cloud was just… adoring. Angeal bumped his arm against Genesis's, getting a quick touch to the back of his wrist in return. Gen saw it too, then.

It was not a very long conversation. Cloud soon returned to them, still scowling, but it morphed into a sheepish grin when Genesis cooed, "Look at you. Protecting us. Our hero."

Cloud gently punched Genesis's shoulder and passed by Angeal. He brushed against him, close—too close—so close that Angeal could not stop himself from pressing a hand to the older man's lower back and reeling him in close for a kiss.

When he let Cloud go Zack did the same thing, a quick peck on the mouth, and both Genesis and Sephiroth offered Cloud their own brief affections.

Angeal did not know why he had done that. Or, rather, he did not know why it had been so  _easy_ , kissing him, a gesture that, in this context, was not sexual nor platonic, but…

Cloud was bushing and rubbing the back of his neck, but he met Angeal's eyes and Angeal saw that same confusion reflected there.

That kept happening.

"It's not a big deal," Cloud said, bashful, looking away, and the moment passed. "He's totally neglecting these. He should be fired."

"The other attendant isn't any better," Genesis added. He had found his own bike and was sitting on it, turning the handlebars left and right. While Cloud crouched to check it out Angeal walked down the row of bikes until he found his own.

The poor thing had not seen sunlight (or moved at all) in three years. Even worse, it was dented and scraped from his wipeouts and falls in the damn thing. He ran a hand over its side, almost apologetic, before swinging a leg over it.

He didn't even like  _sitting_ on the thing. Angeal looked up at his partners and friend, to see what they were up to, and jumped a bit when he realized they were all watching him.

"What?" he asked, self-conscious.

"Nothing," Zack said, even as he gazed at him with a gentle smile and eyes full of love, visible even at this distance.

"You're cute," Genesis answered, and Sephiroth, standing close to their redheaded lover with a hand on the curve of his waist, nodded his agreement.

Angeal returned his attention to the bike, feeling out the handlebars and throttle, things he'd never completely understood.

To his surprise, Cloud slid onto the boke behind him. He was warm and sturdy against his back, his hips pressed up snug until Angeal was cradled by those grabbable thighs. He could feel Cloud's soft cock against his ass, even; the memory of their burger date when he first met this man made him smile.

"You want to ride it?" Cloud asked.

"Only if you're referring to the thing in your pants," Angeal muttered back without thinking.

Cloud chuckled; Zack gave a great laugh from across the garage. Angeal flushed; Cloud even gave his hips a little rock. Maybe that was coming later that evening, then. "I meant the bike," he said.

"Not really."

"Why not?"

"I suck at it. Genesis still brings up some of my falls sometimes."

"Because I love you," Genesis called. Angeal sent him a sharp frown.

"I'm right here." Cloud was—he was everywhere, patient and kind and reassuring. "I won't let you fall."

He couldn't really refuse with his boyfriends there, thinking he was cool and all. "Alright," he grumbled.

The key to his bike was on a ring along with keys to every other thing he used that wasn't digital yet—his weapons locker, storage unit on the transport they always gave him, various doors, et cetera. It took some time to find the right one, because it had been, again, an entire three years since he used it.

Amazingly enough, the bike rumbled to life with some stutters and pops. It was  _loud_ in this quiet, undisturbed place. The ShinRa bike mechanic stuck his head out of the office to investigate, probably shocked that one was being used. He disappeared after seeing what was going on.

Gently, Cloud led him through the twisting of the throttle, and changing the gears with his foot. They started to move… Angeal wobbled horribly and he swore, a cold flash of panic shooting through him.

"Easy," came Cloud's warm voice, chin hooked over his shoulder. "Keep your feet up." Cloud stabilized them when they tipped too far to one side just as he promised. The only thing Angeal had to focus on was acceleration and steering, really, all while trusting that 'the bike is gonna get you where you want it to. Don't fight it, Angeal.'

It was slow, and it was shaky, but they made an entire lap around the huge, sprawling garage. Cloud murmured encouragement to him, his arms wrapped around Angeal's waist. He felt so damn nice.

Angeal parked it with success, and blushed when Sephiroth, Zack and Genesis clapped for him. Cloud slid off but Angeal didn't let him go far, taking his hand and tugging him down.

Angeal went to kiss him, but remembered at the last moment that he probably shouldn't do it again—not when he hadn't discussed it with his partners, and not while they were here, sharing a moment, and not all together on Genesis' bed where kissing was allowed and encouraged, because it was fun, and not because it necessarily meant something.

He pressed their foreheads together instead, exhaling through his nose as he cupped Cloud's cheek. "Thank you," he murmured, trying to get across all the gratitude and amazement he felt with the unsatisfactory words.

Zack had tried to teach him a few times but he had not wanted to try. It was so nice to know he trusted Cloud, this civilian from below the plate that he never would have thought he'd interact with, enough to let him in, to see that vulnerability and help him out.

He was still no expert on motorcycles, and they were still not things he fully understood. That was okay, though, with Cloud Strife here to lead him through it.

The depth of the affection in Cloud's eyes made him heady. He knew everything in his head, this man. "You're welcome," Cloud said, and his words were also insufficient to cover every warm note in his voice.

Angeal let Cloud go, shaken. They returned to the group. Cloud fiddled with a bike. He taught them a few things, but Angeal was not listening. He said things that made Sephiroth smile, Genesis laugh, and Zack stare at him like he hung Gaia's moons.

"So… hey," Zack said, arms behind his head. "I was thinking. You're way more capable than that guy over there. What if you worked for ShinRa, Cloud? Took their job over? I'd trust the bikes in your hands."

The gentle smile on Cloud's face faded, and Angeal's gut clenched uncomfortably.

Zack had everyone's attention, and he continued, "Hey, it'd be a solid plan. You'd make a lot of money, the bikes would be taken care of… hell, you could even start that motorcycle brigade Seph and Gen were talking about. And—you'd be close to us, man. That's good, yeah?" His handsome, earnest face cracked a grin, one that Cloud did not return.

He looked stricken, and took a few small steps back from all of them. He croaked, "I need to tap out."

"…Huh?" Zack frowned.

"It's—the things you say to me." Cloud glanced at Genesis briefly; the redhead slowly brought a hand to his mouth as he realized what Cloud was saying. "And the things you do for me, and…" Cloud took a steadying breath. "This—arrangement, it isn't good for me anymore."

"Pardon?" Sephiroth asked, actual pain in his voice. He liked Cloud so damn much, they all knew.

Cloud's jaw tensed as he took another step back. "I was fine with the casual sex," he said, "And hanging out. But I can't do this anymore—I told myself I wouldn't let it get this far, but I did anyway."

"Cloud," Zack said, gently, but Cloud shook his head and spoke over him.

"I've got  _feelings_ ," he said, saying the word awkwardly but saying it all the same. "It hasn't been long, but—I—unless you four want to change this into an actual date, I'm out."

Genesis sputtered something that no one really understood. Zack's eyebrows were sky high. Cloud looked straight at Angeal, the one who had always been direct with him.

"You told me you don't appreciate being toyed with. I won't do it any longer—I'm being upfront. I told you—"

"—That you don't want to be toyed with by married men," Angeal finished. Cloud gave a sharp nod.

The other three were looking at him now as well, with three different expressions of surprise, confusion, hope… it was too much for Angeal to process all at once.

Angeal was the one who said what needed to be said, who had the best interests of the group at heart, and looked after those interests. But he was  _selfish_ too, so damn selfish. He knew what  _he_ wanted, but that didn't mean that's what the others wanted. It didn't mean that was something they could realistically handle, something that their relationship could withstand if things went south again.

It was something Angeal was unable to decide on his own, regardless of how everyone else was staring at him like they expected him to. This he also did not understand, and this time Cloud could not gently lead him to an answer.

The awkward silence stretched on for too long, Angeal biting back words, looking desperately at his boyfriends for help, looks they sent him right back.

"I thought as much," Cloud sighed. "Alright. I'll see you guys around."

And with that, Cloud turned and started walking back to the elevator.

"Wait," Angeal called, frustrated.

Zack looked scared. "Cloud! We don't have to—fuck, or anything tonight, we just wanna see you. We'll talk it out."

Cloud raised a casual hand, getting further away. "Not interested."

"Dammit," Genesis snapped, as Sephiroth beside him watched Cloud leave with sad eyes. "Your stuff is upstairs, Cloud."

"Forget it," Cloud called. "Figure this out on your own time and let me know, if you want." He was so calm, so blasé and grown up about this—the four he left behind were a mess.

"We can't let him just  _leave_ , guys," Zack pleaded, but it was too late, and the heavy doors to the garage shut with a loud, echoing bang as Cloud exited the area.


	9. Chapter 9

Lazard was unhappy. Sephiroth knew this; he knew, rationally, that Lazard got no joy from this—still, he had to swallow down the irritation rising in him. Overriding a request to be excused from a mission happened only rarely, and for a few reasons.

One—while SOLDIERs knew that they could defer missions to another operative, it just generally wasn't used. A SOLDIER's COs were supposed to know if something traumatic had happened to a spouse or if an operative was unfit for combat for whatever reason. Two—if someone did request to be excused from a mission and appeared to have a solid reason, it was usually upheld. SOLDIER was quite unlike the infantry, with its comparably strict rules and stifling chain of command. In the special ops, there was wiggle room. Keeping a mako-powered berserker pleased was sometimes more important than sending a specific SOLDIER out to Kalm or wherever.

Three—Lazard, as Director, didn't really have  _that_ much power. Most of it was for show, and although that frustrated Deusericus at times it was intentional. SOLDIER dabbled in too many secret, sensitive projects for all that information to be kept in any one person's hands; that was dangerous. Maybe on paper Lazard could override an excusal request, but he wouldn't really try to exercise it—at least, not with Sephiroth, General of the program, and just a step or two beneath Lazard himself in terms of power.

He was the first SOLDIER to debut, ten years back. He was also the most formidable in battle (or perhaps tied for most formidable, if one was to ask Genesis). So Lazard's 'override' of Sephiroth's request to be excused from this extremely untimely mission so far had consisted of some exhausted sighs, a few shrugs, and two blond brows drawing together miserably over the rims of his rather strange glasses.

"I'm sorry," Lazard said. "I don't  _want_ to ask you to go out there when you're unwilling."

"I know," Sephiroth answered, because he did.

While Sephiroth would never take Lazard to go see a play, like Genesis did with his friends, or window-shopping in WallMarket like Zack and his friends, or out to sight-see like Angeal and his friends, he considered Lazard a solid… acquaintance. They respected each other and had for years. (Besides, Sephiroth did not have any other friends to invite along, or at least those who he wasn't dating, and conversation tended to get stunted when it was just he and Lazard for too long a time.)

Regardless, inconveniencing Lazard more than he had already was not on his agenda. Sephiroth sighed and rolled his shoulders as Lazard told him, "It would have to be Genesis or Angeal if not you. We need the best."

"That's all right." Sephiroth shook his head. "I'm here. The four of us are having personal issues, but I understand the urgency here." Sephiroth paused. "I won't flat-out refuse your mission. This time."

Lazard smiled weakly at his attempt at a joke. He seemed to correctly gather that Sephiroth using the words  _the four of us_ meant that there was some sort of domestic dispute at here—Lazard  _really_ wouldn't like to get in the middle of that, he knew.

"Try to make it quick," advised Lazard. "If you end a day or two earlier than expected, that's fine. I'll have transportation available for you and your team."

Sephiroth glanced down at the mission debrief in his hand and nodded. There was nothing else to say so Sephiroth swept from the room. He kept his gait even as he travelled back the way he came half an hour earlier. He nodded at a few SOLDIERs on the way. They respected him a great deal; even in times of strife like these, he was not about to abandon his responsibilities.

Hah…  _move over Zack_ , he thought dryly,  _I'm taking over as the comedian in our family_.

The courtesy knock on Angeal's door came after a brief hesitation. He then let himself in with his keycard. The other three were where he left them—Zack and Genesis on the couch, leaning against each other, and Angeal on the opposite loveseat, where he had been.

"Duty calls?" Zack asked. His mouth was pulled into a frown.

He wished he had a negative to answer with. "Mm. I have to leave at 0200 hours." That was in a mere five hours; he would have to sleep in the next half hour to grab a decent nap before he had to leave.

With these three he could share details. Elfè and a few other high-ranking AVALANCHE members had supposedly been spotted outside Mideel. They weren't the most important thing at hand at the moment, and more of an issue for the Turks at this stage, besides. Three dragons, extremely far from where they should be, were rampaging in the area. The nearby mako reactor was in danger, not to mention civilians if the dragons strayed too far.

"What the hell are dragons doing all the way out there?" Genesis asked, raking a hand through his hair.

Angeal frowned, and raised an arm to coax Sephiroth into sitting with him again. Sephiroth gladly did so, nestling into his boyfriend's side as Angeal's arms wound around his waist. "I wonder if AVALANCHE is there to investigate this, or if they let them loose somehow."

"Don't engage them on your own, Seph." Zack's eyes were challenging. "You've got three dragons at once on your plate already."

"I won't."  _But if an excellent opportunity presents itself…_ "I tried to refuse the mission, but Lazard said he needed me. He was close to pleading, I think."

Genesis snorted, "Pathetic," but Angeal said, "Poor guy."

"I have to go. I'm just sorry about the timing."

Before he got the call from Lazard he had been sitting in this very spot and the four of them had been discussing something very important, if difficult. It was already one day since Cloud had walked out on them after confessing he had feelings for the four of them that went very beyond friendship. The longer they waited the worse this situation would get.

Zack smiled gently at Sephiroth. He cradled Genesis's hand in his lap and had his other hand resting on the redhead's thigh, which was crossed over one of his. "Don't worry about it. Honestly, I think we all need more time to think about this. It's no use rushing if we can't give Cloud the well-thought-out answer he deserves."

Sephiroth blinked, refocusing on his youngest boyfriend. Cloud made the usually-confident man insecure sometimes. Zack fumbled his words and hesitated more with Cloud than Sephiroth had witnessed with anybody else. Zack was so serious and adult about this.

Genesis noted this too and seemed just as proud. He met Sephiroth's eyes for a moment, full of warmth, as he bumped his cheek against Zack's shoulder.

"He's right." Even Angeal was smiling. "We all know we want him in return, but there's more to consider. We'll think on it and discuss it when you get back, Seph?"

"That sounds like a good plan."

With their plan set, they let Sephiroth go to bed. As he drifted off he could hear them talking in low tones. It soothed him.

He woke shortly after one in the morning with Zack's legs tangled with his, warm at his back. As he extracted himself, Zack stirred, his grip tightening on him.

"Be safe," he murmured, voice deep and rough with sleep. "Don't think about this too much and get yourself killed by a dragon because you're distracted."

"I won't." Sephiroth got out of bed and leant over his boyfriend, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. Zack offered a sleepy smile. Sephiroth did it again to his cheek, his eyebrow, the tip of his pointed nose and his chin. Finally, he pressed a gentle smooch to Zack's lips. He was asleep again.

There were quite a few people out in the hallways, SOLDIERs and Infantry going to and returning from missions of their own. Execs had typical nine-to-six jobs (but probably even longer hours, considering it was ShinRa) and were absent.

It was just him and a Turk in the chopper, a young blonde who greeted him politely but did not offer largely unwanted small-talk like a particular redheaded associate of hers. He preferred that, though—he had a lot to think about on the ride.

They'd made significant progress on their answer to Cloud's question already, thankfully. When confronted with Cloud walking out on them and ignoring their plea for him to stop, it had not taken much for them to come clean about their individual feelings for Cloud.

The four of them trudged back to Genesis' apartment. Cloud's things were still on the coffee table, an awkward and uncomfortable reminder of what had just happened.

They sat, blinking sadly at each other, and then Zack blurted it out—he  _wanted_ Cloud, not just as a friend or fuck buddy. Angeal was right behind him; Cloud was important to him, and he wanted to date Cloud properly. Sephiroth himself admitted that his feelings for Cloud were complicated, but he very much wanted to try. Lastly Genesis, looking like he was warring with himself, told them that Cloud meant far more to him than he ever was supposed to.

All of them, they discovered, after talking it out that first night, had been sitting on these feelings for a while, too afraid to bring them up for fear of ruining the previous casual arrangement.

There were so many things to like about Cloud Strife—his quiet smiles, the face he made when he was thinking about something complicated, his naked body, his dedication to his uncle and the garage they worked in… and they discussed it all, until they were all laughing and slightly embarrassed for each other at the depth of their crushes on this man.

Sephiroth made himself sleep on the ride to Mideel, knowing extra rest would only do him more good. He woke an hour before arrival. Usually he tried to read on transports and use the time productively. The pages of the book he brought along held very little interest to him this time. Thanks to Cloud he was in the process of learning more about space, but the bending of light by black holes was less important than sorting out the rest of their problem.

It was certainly wonderful to know that they all desired more than simple friendship with Cloud, but that was hardly the end of it. No, the most important thing was deciding whether this would be  _good_ for them.

If Cloud would enhance their relationship, and not hurt it, they would try this. If their relationship was solid enough to withstand the addition of another and stay strong if this addition did not work out. If they could support each other again if Cloud turned out as manipulative as the last guy.

It was a lot to think about. Sephiroth wasn't supposed to dwell on it too much, as Zack had ordered, but he pondered these heavy questions even as his mission officially started.

Elena was instructed to drop him off close to the low mountain peak where the dragons were residing. The area outside Mideel was lush forests, coastal rivers and bays, not flat, open land. She hovered over the treetops, the propellers of the chopper buffeting all of them like blades of grass in the gusty breeze of Banora.

"Thank you," Sephiroth said, shouldering his bag, and jumped from the chopper.

He landed, after the quick appearance and disappearance of his hidden, feathered limb to ensure the fall wouldn't hurt him, in four inches of dark, swampy mud.

"…Disgusting," he muttered, checking the ends of his hair to see if that had gotten muddy too. Minimal casualties.

At his speed the base of the mountain was about a two hour hike. If AVALANCHE was in the area they likely would have heard the chopper, even if the forest density may have obscured the view of it. If they were in Mideel itself, that was far enough away that his presence would remain undiscovered.

The area was gorgeous, and the sights kept him entertained as he neared the dragons. A long river went right towards it. Sephiroth followed, noticing the lack of fish. The reactor had not been in this area for very long at all, but it showed the effects already… the area likely would not remain gorgeous for long.

Though he kept every sense straining outward, he detected no sign of AVALANCHE in the area—nor anybody else. There were monsters, strange, enraged beasts that oozed green onto the dirt as Masamune dealt with them, but no humans.

The dragons were acting oddly. Two of them writhed around together, gnawing and twisting their long necks around each other. Very young, at least by dragon standards—they were perhaps twice as old as Sephiroth himself. The third guarded what he assumed to be their treasure, growling at rock face, at nothing at all.

Lazard had not downplayed the danger; these dragons were clearly sick, or driven to some version of insanity by  _something._ Sephiroth, crouched behind some rubble, gently deposited his backpack. He clipped his materia into his bracer and eyed the solitary dragon, distracted, now head-butting the wall of stone, steam pouring from its nostrils.

He struck, darting out from his spot, leaping, and slicing off an entire wing of the beast before it noticed his presence. Masamune held firm through the cut of thick, ancient bone and muscle.

The dragon let out an awful cry, swiping at him with its tail as it caved in on itself to deal with the loss. He dodged it, swinging his blade again and making another deep slice in the dragon's hide. Their armor prevented most attacks from doing much damage; you had to get them at a weak spot, like the wing joint.

They were high-leveled too, not that Sephiroth, in his seventies and planning to hit 99 in the future, really cared. The other two dragons, now aware of the assault on the third, probably a parent, screeched and took to the sky, flying erratically and smashing into rock and the sparse trees up this high. Dragons were largely resistant to fire but a nice, mastered Thundaga had the dragon twisting in agony, foaming green at the mouth.

Something about these mercy kills left Sephiroth unsettled, but it hardly mattered much. When the first was dead he turned on the others, who had been spraying him with fire and attempting to dive in and pick him up as he dealt with the other one.

He smiled as he leapt onto the back of the weaker of the two dragons. Angeal often told him to stop treating combat like a game, but when it was just him against three dragons, when just one could have eliminated a squad of Infantry… he couldn't help but have some fun.

A combination of well-placed stabs and disorienting casts of Thunder took care of the second dragon, and the third he disposed of with sheer, overwhelming force, letting Octaslash power up within him until it burst forth and he sliced through the dragon's hide, scaled armor be damned.

When it was over, he inspected the bodies. The first dragon's eyes were open. They glowed green, sightless but still possessing some sort of rage.

Sephiroth sighed, glancing off in the direction of the reactor. This was not the first location they'd observed something like this. Monsters and wildlife acting erratically, perhaps addled by mako?

It was possible that was what AVALANCHE was supposedly doing here, if they hadn't left already. Gathering more evidence of ShinRa's crimes against the planet.

It felt wrong to take all of the treasure from the dragons. It was an impressive stash, full of glittering materia orbs and odd jewelry. Sephiroth took an orb for himself, stowed three little gifts in his pack for his boyfriends, and after a moment's pause, something for Cloud.

Sephiroth inspected the reactor. There were ShinRa personnel there, as there always were, but no one had anything suspicious to report, and his own tour of the insides turned up clean. It seemed AVALANCHE had left them alone. Mako reactors often got bomb threats. None had ever been bombed, obviously, but the implications were awful enough to keep them all alert, and fully investigating any leads they had.

Sephiroth spent that first night at the reactor. The workers were excited to see him, if only because nothing exciting ever happened there and he apparently qualified as exciting.

He listened to them talk about their spouses back in town that they were missing.

Two technicians and one combat-trained individual stayed every night, and were on a rotating schedule with the rest of the team (minus the Infantry representative). After all, the reactors were not turned off at night; people had to be there to avoid meltdowns or other accidents. There were some quarters, and one of those small rooms was Sephiroth's for the night, but for the time being everyone was gathered in one of the inspection rooms, where there were enough seats.

"This cycle is two months," said a man named Sam, the Infantry representative. "There's a couple of us that switch out throughout the year, but man…" he stretched, folding one blue-clad leg over the other, "I'll be happy to get away from this green glow. I've started seeing it when I close my eyes."

"How much time you got left?" asked the senior technician, Rena.

"Only two weeks left. And thank Gaia for that, 'cause these long separations certainly aren't making things easy with Lauren." Sephiroth, sitting against the far wall and hoping he didn't look like he was ignoring them, focused a little more intently.

"Yeah…" Rena sighed. She was almost sixty by Sephiroth's estimate. "I'm only gone one or two nights a week and that's hard enough on Tom and I."

"What's  _really_ hard," snorted the Reactor's third attendant for the night, a young researcher named Hakim, "Is trying to make your wife cool with you having to sleep over the Reactor so often when she hates the damn thing to begin with."

"Your wife disapproves of ShinRa?" Sephiroth asked, averting his eyes to somewhere over the man's shoulder as he remembered most folks didn't like to meet his gaze. "Or just the reactor?"

Hakim sighed, rolling his shoulders. Rena chuckled at him.

"That's complicated," she told Sephiroth, smiling gently at him over her mug. "There are only a few true  _fans_ of ShinRa out there." Sephiroth nodded; he knew that. "The reactors in particular receive the brunt of people's anger," she continued. "They're big, they're ugly, they're what's polluting their drinking water… not that we're not doing what we can out here to stop that…"

"In my case, my wife, Tia, hates everything to do with the company. But she loves me, so…" Hakim trailed off, scratching his cheek in slight embarrassment at the statement.

"I assume this occasionally creates difficulties." There was an important person in Sephiroth's life who disliked ShinRa, who had hated him, its unwilling poster boy, for years….

"I suppose." Rena glanced at Hakim briefly before shrugging. "It's not something you can't work out though, generally."

"Hm. That is good to hear."

Sephiroth indulged their small talk for a short while longer before retiring. They knew he was here on business, and all three of them periodically glanced at Masamune. They could guess he'd slain something—or someone.

In the morning Sephiroth left and headed first to Mideel, to check in with the ShinRa units there (no AVALANCHE sightings, but they were set to communicate with Midgar if that changed). From there he went west, to a small camp of SOLDIERs stationed in the forest that were there on a related mission, investigating reports of other, smaller monsters that were acting erratically. Sephiroth arrived as the sunset was painting Mideel's trademark river systems pink and gold.

The First Class in charge of the group was the only one aware of a possible AVALANCHE presence in the area, and Sephiroth spoke to him privately. They'd so far chased a rumor or two, but had gotten nothing concrete. The SOLDIER, Konig, was doubtful that they had actually ever been here, at this point.

"This is a matter best left to the Turks, then," Sephiroth told him. "We have more urgent things to focus on than reconnaissance."

Konig agreed. Because of the immediate danger presented with AVALANCHE's top leaders it was certainly not a bad thing to have SOLDIERs aware of the situation, but SOLDIERs running around on a goose chase when there were real, immediate dangers—like erratically-behaved monsters close to towns and cities—should be avoided.

This was good. It meant Sephiroth got to go home sooner than expected, at least.

They went deeper south, following the trail of some displaced Acrophies. When they found them the things were much like the dragons—disoriented and enraged. No match at all for this many SOLDIERs, though.

Thinking about these strange encounters and also what it meant to hear AVALANCHE was afoot kept Sephiroth awake that night. His tent was quiet. It was small, but knowing Masamune could rip through the canvas like tissue paper kept his claustrophobia at bay. His sleeping bag was unzipped though.

Eventually Sephiroth slid a hand down the front of his pants and grabbed his dick, eager to distract himself. He stroked, mind purposefully blank, until he was erect and heavy in his hand.

Then Sephiroth closed his eyes. A variety of images came to him, quick and intense, to get him off as quickly as possible. Angeal, on his hands and knees, big dick hanging down towards the bed as Sephiroth came on the curve of his ravished ass. Zack giving him an intense, serious look through lowered lashes as he rode Sephiroth's cock. Genesis brazenly interrupting his shower, only to crowd him against the wall and jerk him off with quick, firm strokes.

Before getting into his relationships Sephiroth's interest in sexual things had been minimal. Nothing got him off like those three. He drew a deep breath in through his nose, thinking abstractly about warm, familiar lips on his cock and people pounding into him with SOLDIER strength. There was a flash of gold in his mind's eye and he followed it, interested. Cloud got him off too, no doubt about  _that_.

He'd take Cloud on his back, with those rough mechanic's hands cupping his face. Cloud's constant cool would slip as Sephiroth sank his cock into him. He could almost feel the tightness of Cloud's ass around him already.

Sephiroth opened his eyes for the first time in a few minutes. He peered at the dark roof of his tent. His hand fell away from his cock—he wasn't interested any longer.

He'd thought about penetrating Cloud. That was the one thing Sephiroth had been unwilling to do when he slept with Cloud… that was, for him, giving away too much. That act had taken on new meanings after the incident with Luxiere.

Sephiroth sighed and rolled over, trying to get comfortable. Sleep did not come for quite a long while.

* * *

Twenty hours later Sephiroth relaxed back against Genesis's chest and stretched out his arms for Zack, who let himself get reeled in for a moment, chuckling against his lips before giving him a solid kiss. He retracted and left the bedroom for a moment; Sephiroth covered Genesis's hands resting on his stomach with his own.

Genesis squeezed him slightly and pressed a warm kiss to his ear. "It's good to have you back," he confided.

Sephiroth hummed his answer, tucking his head against Genesis's affectionately. He was dressed in a pair of Angeal's shapeless sweatpants and Genesis was only in a pair of underwear that both were pretty sure did not belong to him. All the skin contact was delightful after Sephiroth's time alone in Mideel; Genesis was happy to cuddle him. Sephiroth's hair was braided and pushed over his shoulder to get it out of the way.

Zack and Angeal both returned together. Angeal had a snack, even, homemade brownie and cookie bars that he and Genesis made together earlier that day while Sephiroth was in transit back to Midgar. Sephiroth was touched. Genesis laughed at the way Sephiroth shrugged off his arms in order to go up on his knees and walk to the edge of the bed to grab one.

"Get crumbs on my blankets," Genesis warned, "And I'll have to punish you."

"You could attempt it," Sephiroth answered coolly, fighting a smirk at the look on Zack's face as he took in the undoubtedly unsavory look on  _Genesis's_ face.

When everyone had their dessert (after Angeal ran back to the kitchen to grab paper plates, ever Genesis's dutiful soulmate) Sephiroth relaxed back against Genesis again and stretched out one leg so he could tap his foot against Angeal's knee, the man sitting cross-legged at the foot of the large bed. Zack was nearby too, and smiled every time their eyes met.

Everyone was rumpled and gentle, enjoying the afterglow of satisfying sex together. Genesis had his legs on either side of Sephiroth's body and occasionally squeezed him with them, hugging Sephiroth still with one arm and pressing kisses to the side of his face, overflowing with affection. Sephiroth scrunched his face up like he was displeased each time but in truth he was very, very happy to receive such attention.

He gave them a shorter version of his mission report when he first walked in the door but gave them the longer one now, telling them all about his adventure. He belatedly remembered the gifts he had stowed in his pack he'd looted from the dragons' stash, but decided that the cuddles here were far more important. He'd give them out later.

While he was gone his boyfriends had gone about business as usual. Zack had a short mission just outside the city—he took a chocobo, he said, and complained once again about Odin's destruction—and Angeal had covered for one of the First Class instructors who fell ill. He enjoyed teaching classes, and even though he kept saying that it wasn't what he wanted to do full time they all hoped that one day he would retire from active duty and stay to coach budding SOLDIERs. It was much safer, and he could do a lot of good.

"So…" Zack began when that thread of conversation was exhausted, "We also spent a lot of time talking while you were gone, Seph—about Cloud."

Sephiroth nodded his head, indicating he'd considered Cloud as well.

Zack looked slightly apprehensive about what he was going to say, but resolutely powered on: "We decided that we want to go for it. We think Cloud could be good for us—and that we could be good for Cloud. All three of us like Cloud a lot on our own, and as part of the group, too."

Genesis dropped his chin onto Sephiroth's bare shoulder. "What did you conclude? If it was different from ours, please say so. If all four of us are not equally as enthusiastic about this it will not work out."

"No, I reached the same decision." Sephiroth looked Angeal and Zack in the eyes to show he meant it. "I thought about him a lot. And… about Luxiere too. I'm ready to try this with Cloud."

The four of them lapsed into a brief silence after he spoke, reflecting on what Sephiroth had said and what it all meant.

"I'm glad to hear that," Angeal eventually said, brushing Sephiroth's foot with his fingertips. "Honestly, I don't think that Cloud will turn us down. So… this is it. We're all agreed?"

He got three nods in response. Zack ran a hand through his sex-mussed hair. "I mean, there's a lot of questions. Things we're going to have to work through with him. He's not a SOLDIER, he's not enhanced, he lives below the plate… we discussed this stuff a bit while you were gone, Seph. It'll be tough, but I don't think we can't do it."

Sephiroth agreed. He told them how when he was in Mideel he listened to ShinRa personnel talk about how they negotiated having non-ShinRa partners… even when those partners did not approve of the company at all, even actively disliked it. "They said it's not impossible. If we're willing to put in the effort to work with Cloud we will manage it. I'm willing."

Genesis kissed his cheek again. "That's good to hear. As am I." Angeal and Zack said they were too.

"It's kind of surreal," Angeal confessed. "I thought we would stay as four until one of us died. I would have been happy with that."

It was a tad morbid, but true. Sephiroth had never felt anything was lacking from his relationship with these three. He, too, had envisioned staying as four. This right here, with his precious people close and affectionate and caring—was fucking perfect.

"Ha! When I was eighteen I thought you and I would be each other's sweethearts until we were gray." Angeal couldn't help but grin at Genesis' words, his eyes gentle and loving. "And now look at us, dear—part of a goddamn  _fivesome_. What happened?"

"We met Seph," Angeal answered. Two years into his relationship with Genesis, the two of them started dating Sephiroth at age nineteen.

"That we did," Genesis answered. Sephiroth turned his head to catch his next incoming kiss aimed at his cheek with his mouth. "And I thought we'd stay as three forever. But then you had to meet  _this one_ -" he flung an arm in Zack's direction, making the youngest man laugh, "And fell for him."

Angeal smiled, reaching over so he could take Zack's hand. Sephiroth remembered the days when Angeal was first developing feelings for his student, beating himself up for his stray thoughts. Back then, he and Genesis had tried to be there to talk with Angeal; he had not seen his friend so greatly conflicted over anything like that before or since. It had been a happy three years between when Sephiroth joined him and Genesis and Zack's entry to the relationship.

And for four years since then… the four of them had been like this. In a way, it felt kind of odd, seeing this era end. It was certainly a good era. But Cloud joining them did not mean anything had to change with this dynamic they'd had for so long… they would just have yet another one, one for the group.

They spent a long time that evening reminiscing, and going step-by-step through the major highlights of their relationship. How, when Genesis finally worked up the nerve to kiss Angeal, putting all of this into motion, he'd been so embarrassed about it afterward he'd hid in a dumbapple tree to avoid talking to Angeal when he came by the next day looking for him. How Sephiroth had fallen for Angeal first, drawn to his strength and calm personality, and how Angeal treated him with respect but also like a friend. His explosive attraction to Genesis had not been far behind.

They talked about how Zack had developed a crush on Angeal too, and also knew that nothing could work out while he was Angeal's official mentee. He'd worked extra hard in those days to graduate from the program so things could change. Thinking about all those dinners they had where Angeal invited Zack 'round and where Sephiroth and Genesis slowly fell for Zack too had them all in stitches—they had been so goddamn  _awkward_ at first.

Eventually they ended up narrating their first encounters with Cloud. They all knew the basics but each walked the others through their first thoughts— _he's really cute!_  was Zack's, while Sephiroth had thought something more along the lines of  _he looks extremely unhappy to be at this event._ Angeal's gaffe with showing up with the flowers still had him red-faced, and Genesis stuck up his nose and insisted that, no, Cloud did  _not_ give him a 'smack down' in their first conversation.

There were, undoubtedly, a lot of good things in store. Things were going to change. Sephiroth was confident, though, that these three would stay through whatever the future could throw at him.

* * *

Sephiroth had never been to Highwind Auto. The other three had told him so much about it… in his head he'd imagined it, drab concrete, dark stains, and the smell of engine oil. And like every other time something similar happened, the reality did not quite match what had been in his mind's eye. Sephiroth entered the establishment last, loitering behind his lovers.

Cid Highwind stood at the front counter; Sephiroth was content to let them deal with the man. Instead of focusing on him, Sephiroth surveyed the welcome area. There were a few pictures in frames, chips and lines in the off-white paint… stains on the floor. A well-worn magazine that had fallen off a tiny end table and was a crumpled mess.

As Angeal and Zack moved forward to speak with Cid, Sephiroth picked up the magazine and carefully deposited it back where it belonged. He watched out of the corner of his eye. Cid did not look thrilled to see them all, and he looked confused as to why the four of them were here at once.

He did not look angry though. He was not yelling at them for upsetting his nephew. He merely folded his arms and gave them a flat look, the unlit cigarette in his mouth quirking up. "…What can I do for you  _gentlemen_?" He asked, the sentence coming out especially derisive with his Rocket Town drawl.

They'd all prepared themselves for outright yelling, and had a speech prepared to explain the situation to Mr. Highwind. Well, what they'd hoped for most was for Cloud to be at the counter in the first place.

"Is Cloud here?" Angeal eventually asked. He offered Cid the reassuring smile that calmed civilians and charmed his fans (it did not seem to work, but it was important that Angeal gave it anyway. It was part of the plan). "We'd like to speak with him, if he has some free time."

Cid's eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head, but he nodded. "I'll get him." He jabbed a finger at Genesis. "And this ain't gonna be like last time, when one of you kidnap him for…" His lips thinned and Cid pushed onward, "…He's got two car inspections to do by the end of the day, and I ain't lettin' him slack and take a damn nap in the middle of the day again. Understand?"

"Yes," Genesis said, nodding. Behind his back, Genesis' hands clenched into fists, but for all intents and purposes he was being agreeable. (There was a reason Angeal and Zack had gone up to approach Cid at the counter. It was also part of the plan.)

Cid left with another suspicious look, and the four SOLDIERs waited uncomfortably for him to get Cloud. It took a minute, as Cid probably explained the situation and Cloud decided whether he wanted to come see them or not. Sephiroth really hoped he did… they would leave if Cloud was not ready to talk, but no one wanted that. It had been hard getting all four of them some time to come down here at once.

Cloud eventually did come up to the front, though. For Sephiroth, it was strange seeing Cloud in his work clothes… a thin, stained tank top that showed his shapely arms and some black cargo pants. A wrench poked out of one of the large thigh pockets. He wore a suit the first time they met and a nicer outfit when Cloud came by to visit most recently… the evening that had not ended well at all.

Cloud, too, did not yell. He did not berate them or scold them. He just studied them for a second, and then resolutely straightened his spine and his lifted his chin. "You guys wanna talk upstairs?" he asked.

"Some privacy would be good," Angeal answered once he'd gotten his wits about him. "Thank you."

The mechanic nodded and led them past the counter and into the bay area of the garage. "Remember what I said," Cid called, elbows-deep in the guts of a pickup truck.

Cloud did not bother correcting his uncle; he just nodded, uncharacteristically quiet, even for him, and led them upstairs.

It seemed Cloud had not told his Uncle about what happened last weekend. He was being so accommodating, as well… Sephiroth was impressed (and a bit humbled) by Cloud's  _adult_ behavior. He was always a step ahead of them. Most of their plan had been useless so far.

Cloud's bedroom was cramped with five people in it. There weren't enough places to sit, and no one was really willing to join Cloud on the end of the bed because it felt inappropriate. It was hot in there and Genesis nearly tripped on Cloud's skateboard again.

Then all five lapsed into awkward silence.

They had a plan. They'd rehearsed what they were going to say, and in what order they were going to say it. They were here to tell Cloud that they thought it over and arrived to the conclusion that they all liked him and that Cloud could be good for their relationship. That they could handle it. That they were sorry for stringing Cloud along. They were prepared to come clean about everything.

But the words were hard to get out at first.

And Sephiroth, who had entered the room last, and who was pressed against the door and trying to be as unthreatening and small as possible, who always let his boyfriends take the lead in these sorts of situations, grew incredibly frustrated.

As Zack gave a sigh and Genesis rubbed the back of his neck Sephiroth stared at Cloud and remembered all the thoughts he'd had when he first met this man. He'd wanted Cloud to be  _his_ friend, someone that is special to him on his own—and not on his 'own' as in removed from his bfs, or in entirely different spheres, but a friend that he had made by himself. True, the others had met Cloud before him, but they were not around when Sephiroth forged that instantaneous, surprising friendship with Cloud  _all on his own_. He had done it.

That was so important to Sephiroth.

Zack, who was set to say the first bit of their speech, had the words caught his throat. Genesis stared at the floor with his brows furrowed and Angeal was the one sighing now and Cloud was just staring blankly at a spot on the carpet and no one was talking and Sephiroth got  _angry_.

Because he knew what he wanted to say, too—he  _wanted_ Cloud, so very much. As a lover but also as a friend. However, the words were not coming out for him either. Previously, when he was on that adventure through the building with Cloud that he enjoyed so much and made him feel five years younger, they didn't need to talk much. They just sort of understood each other. They couldn't do that with so many other people around.

_Still_ no one was talking—and Sephiroth decided he, for once, had to be the one to. He just couldn't do it here.

"Cloud," he said. The man looked at him. "May I please speak with you privately?"

Cloud tilted his head at the stiff, overly-polite request. He stood though and nodded. "We'll be back," he muttered to the rest of the room (Sephiroth's boyfriends were frowning at him and trying to catch his eye because this was  _not part of the plan_ ).

Cloud led him down the hall to the only other room that was not the bathroom—Cid's bedroom. He shut the door behind them, finally showing a bit of his awkwardness. He bowed his head, sweeping his blond spikes out of his eyes with a tired gesture.

Sephiroth did not really notice this though. Cid's bedroom captured most of his attention. It was filled with tiny pieces of the universe. A long tapestry was spread across the far wall by the bed, a gorgeous, sprawling cloth that showed beautiful nebulae colliding and drifting to the far reaches of space in dozens of brilliant colors. There were a thousand spiral galaxies, each one containing millions of stars much like Gaia's own sun. The small stars in the distance—some white, some blue, some red—were innumerable.

On top of the dressers and bookshelves, mixed in with various dirty nuts and bolts and spare change, were things like the ShinRa rocket in miniature, and the mission patch that they were giving out by the thousands continent-wide the day of the failed launch. There was a delicate little model of Gaia's two moons, and a foam ball that illustrated various layers of the Sun—things Sephiroth now knew as the chromosphere, photosphere, corona… He saw the nameplate that Cloud rescued from the Space Exploration department with him in the corner of the dresser. It was pushed against the wall so Cid's name could not be seen, but it was there.

And it was  _heartbreaking_.

Sephiroth did not know what to say. He reached out and touched a tiny version of the lunar lander that ShinRa never got to deploy.

"Yeah," Cloud said, still leaning against the door, "Working at an auto shop isn't what Uncle Cid wants to do with his life… and it never has been."

Sephiroth nodded, abandoning the trinkets. Cloud met him in the middle of the room and shoved his hands into his pockets. "He's pretty… beat up about it. Always has been. The garage is just to make ends meet, y'know. Back in Rocket Town he doesn't make quite enough money to keep them afloat—at least, not until he can afford to get some work done on the airships he wants to do since… space didn't work out."

"I admire his persistence," Sephiroth said. They weren't empty words—he meant it. Ten years stuck doing something that was not your first choice, and still Cid wanted to get off the ground.

"Yeah. I don't know how he does it." Cloud shrugged. "He's frustrated he's not back in Rocket Town though, with Shera and all his projects."

They sat cross-legged on the carpet, facing the tapestry. Sitting on the balcony of his office like this with Cloud came back in vivid color. The glowing tops of Midgar had bathed Cloud in gentle light and made him look like some sort of alien creature. Somehow, though, looking out at this representation of outer space was even more impressive.

For another minute or two, they chatted about Cid. When that wound down Sephiroth sighed, resisting the urge to fiddle with the buckles on his boots.

Eventually he managed, "I apologize for taking you away from the others." Cloud made a non-committal grunt. "I was…frustrated. I have things I mean to say to you, but—so far at least—things seem to go best between us when the two of us are alone."

When he was alone with Cloud, he felt freer to say the things that popped into his head without agonizing over them first. To his pleasure, Cloud echoed the statement. "I like it when it's just the two of us too."

The best part was that Cloud did not pressure him. He just waited for Sephiroth to eventually get to saying what he was supposed to, staring at the swirling greens, pinks and blues of one of the more impressive parts of Cid's tapestry in the meantime.

"It is probably obvious, since I am here… but to be explicit, I desire to be in a relationship with you. So do Angeal, Zack, and Genesis. I value your friendship a great deal and I believe I have-" he stumbled over the childish-sounding word like Cloud had in the ShinRa garage, "-feelings for you."

Cloud looked slightly embarrassed but did not interrupt.

"The delay in answering your question came partly because I had a mission, but also because we had to think about this very carefully. I admit, I needed some time to come to terms with what happened when we tried casual sex the last time."

Cloud was the first one he'd mentioned that incident to outside of his boyfriends. It had been cathartic, out on the balcony, to discuss it even a little bit. The blond man eyed him carefully. There was concern in his gaze, but no pity. "Yeah?"

"Mm." Sephiroth absently plucked at the neck of his t-shirt, even though it wasn't constricting his breathing. Before Cloud had just gotten some of the main details but Sephiroth revealed the whole story now. He told Cloud how they got close to Luxiere, an old and trusted comrade. He occasionally came by for dinner. He made Angeal laugh and helped Genesis make dessert. He played video games with Zack. There was no gradual aiming towards a sexual relationship with Luxiere; it just happened. The opportunity presented itself.

So the four of them explained their ground rules, and they fucked him. Cloud already knew about the aftermath… the unfortunate obsession Luxiere got with Sephiroth and not the others. His behavior escalated to outright stalking. Sephiroth was used to ever-present danger and delusional fans but this was a highly personal situation that left him rattled and unexplainably  _afraid_  in a way he had not been in years.

"Last night the four of us spent a long time talking about things. I told them that the occasional joke I told you about make me upset."

"And what did they say?" Cloud's eyes blazed; the protectiveness in his gaze gave Sephiroth pause.

"They apologized," he answered, "And told me that they are not going to treat the issue lightly any longer, no matter how much time has passed."

"That's good to hear."

Sephiroth nodded. "…Cloud," he said.

"Yeah."

"I told you when we met that Luxiere was not the right fit, no matter how he felt about it. However… I believe you are. Provided you agree, of course… we would like to have you."

Cloud bumped the back of his hand against Sephiroth's knee, and after a moment turned it over so his fingers could loosely curl around it. It was warm, even through Sephiroth's pants.

The two men stayed like that for another couple minutes, sitting together and enjoying the quiet nostalgia of Cid's bedroom. Then Cloud stood and offered a hand, and this time he was the one to haul Sephiroth to his feet. "Let's go back."

The other three were visibly antsy, but relaxed when they saw Sephiroth's easy posture and the gentle smile on Cloud's face as they re-entered Cloud's room. Cloud sat back on his bed and this time Sephiroth sat beside him instead of hiding in the corner.

"I explained the situation to Cloud," Sephiroth said.

Cloud leant back on his hands. "I hear four SOLDIERs wanna date me. Sounds good."

"…Huh," Zack said, rubbing the back of his neck. "That was easy."

Cloud shook his head. "You don't need to give me a speech—I got it from Sephiroth already." Sephiroth ducked his head, a bit embarrassed. "I got questions though. What about me being a civilian?"

"We'll work it out," Angeal said, relieved because this was the part of their 'speech' he'd volunteered for. "Plenty of ShinRa personnel are dating non-ShinRa folks. And even though you aren't exactly the biggest fan of the company, we understand. ShinRa does a lot of good, but we all know they're harming the planet." AVALANCHE, possibly lurking around Mideel… "We want to put the effort in to make it work despite that."

"And that I'm older than all of you?"

"Not an issue," Zack answered, his eyes very serious.

"And that you're all pretty famous in this city."

Angeal answered, with a smile, "We'll keep our fanclubs off your front lawn."

"And that I make  _really shitty_ scrambled eggs. And that sometimes I zone out in the morning and put car parts in the refrigerator."

Cloud was fighting a grin now, and messing with all of them. Genesis groaned, and Zack said, "Come  _on_. Seriously—we're gonna try to do this right, okay? Like, I don't think any of us figured we'd end up here when we first met you, but—here we are anyway, so we might as well give it our best shot. So…"

Zack raised a finger and Genesis groaned again. He was going to do the thing he told them last night he was going to do, and that they  _all_ told him not to.

Zack strode forward into Cloud's space and gave the mechanic a goofy grin, his finger still raised in the air like he and Aerith always did. "How about a date?"

Cloud laughed. Zack did not seem discouraged but instead rather proud of himself, poking Cloud in the forehead with his finger before standing back up fully and crossing his arms. He shot the other three a smug look.

Genesis tried to salvage the situation. He got closer (giving Cloud's skateboard a wide berth) and replaced Sephiroth on the bed. Sephiroth went across the room to Angeal, slipping an arm around the man's waist and tucking his head against his shoulder. Angeal bumped his head against his, watching fondly.

"You'll have to excuse him," Genesis purred, sliding his own arm around Cloud's shoulders. His free hand fell to Cloud's thigh and slowly coasted upward. It just made Cloud more amused, though. "What he meant to say was… we're going to invite you over for an evening of  _romance_. Why don't you come over this weekend, sweetheart? We'll cook you dinner, we'll pretend to watch a movie, we'll  _fuck_ ….and then we'll pamper you in the morning. But this time, we'll make it extremely clear you're here because you're important to us, and not just for fun. Your things are still in my apartment; you don't even have to pack."

"I could have done that," Zack scoffed. His eyes curved up happily though at Cloud's uncharacteristic chuckling.

"I'm in, I'm in," Cloud said, waving his hands as if begging both of them to stop. "A date, yeah, good."

Genesis stuck up his nose as if offended that his seduction was not working. Cloud cupped his cheek in one hand and gave Genesis a smile so sweet it almost made Sephiroth's breath catch. It was perhaps not quite as amazing as all those galaxies in Cid's bedroom but the fact that Cloud could do it so openly and no one had to pretend they did not see or did not understand…was pretty fantastic.

"Well," Cloud said, standing, "Thanks for coming, gentlemen, but I got shit to do. I'll walk you out."

Cloud did, escorting them to the front door. He stepped just outside it, away from the narrowed eyes of his uncle. "Thanks for coming, guys. I'm glad you did."

"So are we. We'll see you this weekend, yeah?" Zack rocked back on his heels, a little nervous, and then grinned, a lot confident.

"Yeah." Cloud waved them goodbye. "Of course."

* * *

"You know…" Genesis's sentence started out normally, but quickly rose in both pitch and volume. "Years ago when I became a SOLDIER I told myself, 'I'm a cut above now. I'm  _done_ bending over and giving even half a shit about the concerns of civilians.' Yet  _here I am,_ sweating and sticky with my  _shirt ruined,_ spending hours in the kitchen  _without any help_ so that a civilian can—!"

"Gen, Gen," Angeal soothed, quickly appearing at Genesis's side. He cradled his head in his hands and drew Genesis into a gentle kiss. There was another, and then another, until Genesis' angry gasping had eased. "I'll take care of the rest of dinner. Go get a shower. You're freaking out."

"I am  _not_ ," Genesis protested, but Angeal continued to smooch him until he acquiesced. Sephiroth was tidying up and nearly rolled his eyes. The first dinner they'd made had turned out spectacularly runny due to two people adding water and oil to the dish, Angeal not realizing Genesis had done it already. They'd trashed it. Now Cloud was due any minute, Genesis was a wreck and had kicked everybody else out an hour ago to make sure dinner got 'done right this time' and there was a mountain of dishes in the sink that poor Zack was only halfway through.

When they could hear the sounds of water on tiles Zack felt it was safe enough to whisper across the room to Sephiroth, "That first casserole looked like mud and fucking Behemoth guts. It was kinda funny."

"It was," Sephiroth answered, and had to bite back a grin when Zack blew him a soapy kiss. Angeal ran the vacuum in the living room and Sephiroth focused on straightening out their appliances and cookbooks.

Cloud called Zack's PHS, and Sephiroth had to fish through his boyfriend's back pocket (pausing to give a decent squeeze) for it because Zack was scrubbing out the 'mud and guts' pan. Their mechanic was in the lobby and did not have the clearance to go anywhere else in the building.

"I'll be right down," Sephiroth told him, getting a cool, "Alright" in response.

"Bring him right here," Angeal called as he left, turning off the vacuum momentarily. "No field trips to old departments or your office or anything."

"I already made plans to sneak him into the President's office," Sephiroth answered. "I'm going to fuck him on the desk. Sorry."

Angeal humored him. "Damn it, Sephiroth. Just make it quick."

The elevator took an excruciatingly long time. Sephiroth was slightly antsy (there was a lot of pressure for this first  _real_ date to go well, thus Genesis's almost-meltdown). Cloud sat on a bench on the first floor though, looking casual and relaxed with one leg folded over the other, and it calmed Sephiroth. He had headphones in and lazily watched SOLDIERs and Infantry enter the building and go off to do their jobs. That wasn't his life.

Except… it kind of was, now. Partially, at least, and Zack had not given up on his plans for Cloud to work for the company someday. They would talk about it later, though, much later—when this date and a few others were out of the way. Cloud pulled out his earbuds when Sephiroth got close and stood.

"I'm wondering if it would be impolite to kiss you before the first date has even started."

Cloud snorted. "Oh, shut up," he said, and like on that high balcony weeks ago, grabbed onto Sephiroth's clothes and pulled him down for a kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Elbow Grease and Enthusiasm' was sparked by an ask I got on tumblr, and it became a fic that I'm proud of and had so much fun writing. It's been great chatting with folks about it, how an older Cloud might fit into Angeal, Seph, Gen and Zack's lives, and about Cid... I seriously can't thank everybody enough. This is, what, my fourth or fifth completed ASGZC multichapter fic? Each time I learn so much more. Thanks to everyone who bookmarked and subscribed, and especially those that commented - you all make me so happy. Please enjoy.

 

These friction plates were an embarrassment. Six of the small circular objects sat in Cloud's hands. They were still slightly oily, but he'd dabbed off the worst of it with a nearby rag. A motorcycle's drive plates—or the friction plates, as they were commonly called—were not smooth, flat circles but rather had small, squareish protrusions around the outside edge.

Those tangs on the rim there were designed to engage with the clutch basket… not that these plates in particular would be engaging with anything anytime soon. The edges of the tangs, once sharp, were now dull and rounded. Cloud pressed his thumb to what was once a corner, pushing until it indented the pad of his thumb. The metal that made the circle itself was quite thin, maybe a third of a centimeter across, and the plates as a whole two inches wide. The front and back faces of the thin discs were coated in a material similar to that used on the brake pads on cars he used to tend to in his uncle's shop. They were worn, though…

Gaia, how long did these bikes go without even a checkup? The full nine years since the program was in place?

Every single day Cloud Strife found something to groan about. He did so now, placing the plates down and then stretching his arms up to the ceiling, letting his joints pop wonderfully. He cracked his neck and peered out the glass windows on the one wall of his office at the empty garage before fixing his attention back on the plates.

Totally useless. Not even worth saving. Any bike with plates like these would have a mess of a clutch. Slowing down, stopping or changing gears could be impaired or fail altogether. Cloud had a very, very large box for parts that were too miserably fucked up to continue servicing any rider, ever; he tossed these into it. Maybe the scrap metal could be melted down into a SOLDIER's sword, or something.

…That was a pretty cool thought, actually.

As Cloud made notes in a thick notebook about which bike the parts had come from, what was wrong, and what he needed replaced, he imagined some ultra-enhanced First Class going around wielding a sword made from melted friction plates, crankshafts, and chrome support beams. It was utterly amazing that his budget was as big as it was. Getting replacement parts for all the 'shitty ass bikes' wasn't really an issue. He even often got to take Fenrir out and pick up the parts himself. Perks of the job.

What would a motorcycle-sword look like, anyway? Probably not pretty… would it even withstand heavy blows? A lot of this metal was brittle and rusting. It would probably look  _cool_ though… a multicolored, intimidating blade. Its wielder could wear a leather jacket over their SOLDIER uniform.

The echoing sound of the far doors to this floor opening snapped Cloud out of his ridiculous thoughts. He finished his notations and lifted his head.

The grinning face of Zack Fair appeared a minute later. It took some time to get to where the motorcycles were on this floor, tucked behind the far more commonly-used armored trucks and large transport vehicles. That was changing, though.

"Got your text," Zack said, waving at him through the glass windows to Cloud's workstation, then waltzing through the open door. "Hey, you."

"Hey." Cloud grinned at him, then dropped his pen and stood. Cloud's work space was full of little personalized touches. He had posters on the wall behind him, a speaker nearby that often played the folk and Wutaian pop albums he liked, a small model of ShinRa's failed rocket on the 'window' sill, and his skateboard leaning against the back wall. He had a picture of him and his four partners too, and Zack picked it up as Cloud wiped his hands down on a clean rag.

"This is a cute picture," he said, smiling in a way that made him look his most handsome. Kindness and affection really looked beautiful on a man like Zack. He put it back where it was, angled towards where Cloud usually had his chair. "What'd you need me for?"

Cloud did not answer right away. He attempted to squeeze past Zack in the doorway but Zack quickly wound an arm around his waist and tugged Cloud to him. They had not seen each other yet that day, and reunited with a long, relaxed kiss against the door frame. Cloud cupped Zack's cheek, stroking his thumb beneath his eye with all the gentleness he could muster.

Zack gave him a few chaste pecks before he withdrew, his eyes bright as he gazed down at Cloud. He was in uniform; Cloud had earlier told him to come visit the garage after he finished his desk work for the day. Cloud pulled playfully at the straps of Zack's SOLDIER belt like they were suspenders.

"Come check it out," he said simply.

Zack followed him out of the office and to the long row of bikes just beyond it. Before they had been tucked together with hardly any room at all between them. Cloud demanded parking spaces when he was hired as the official bike specialist for SOLDIER, though, and now they stood proudly in their own spots.

…Or, some of them stood proudly—most still looked like the kickstands were the only thing stopping them from being a hunk of junk on the cement.

Five of the forty-three motorcycles were completed already, though. Each one took about a month to be completely rebuilt, and that was with Cloud working on it constantly and with all the resources ShinRa possessed at his disposal.

Slowly, he'd finish them. Maybe he'd get an assistant and make the work go faster. Lazard was excited for their bike fleet to be upgraded, and although the man clearly did not understand all the work and time involved and was slightly frustrated with the bike-a-month timeframe, he was enthusiastic and often talked to Cloud about the potential here, which Cloud enjoyed and appreciated.

Cloud put his hands in his pockets and waited patiently for Zack to realize what Cloud had brought him down here for.

He was confused, clearly, and frowned at the bikes after an uncertain glance at Cloud. He soon noticed the shape at the far end. A new motorcycle sat in a new parking space; the white paint was still sticky, even. It was draped in a purple cover (Zack's favorite color, he knew).

Cloud nodded encouragingly when Zack glanced at him again. The two men went to it. "Is this number six?" Zack asked, folding his arms. He always celebrated when Cloud finished a new bike.

"Technically, but not really. Take the cover off."

It was hard not to fidget nervously as Zack gently inched the cover off, not wanting to get it caught on any parts and tip it over. The hulking purple shape was larger than the bikes nearby, and a bit taller too. Gaia, Cloud hoped Zack liked it.

First the wheels were exposed. Unlike Fenrir, with two wheels in front and one in back, this was inversed. The design ran a small risk of looking like a grown-up version of a tricycle, but the wheels were directly next to each other and not spread out to the far sides; it looked rather cool, actually, Cloud thought. They were wide and sturdy. The frame's colors, as they were revealed, glinted dully in the somewhat-poor lighting of the garage. In the sunlight though they would gleam a deep, rich blue.

Zack gasped as the tank cover came into view, and carefully removed the rest of the purple fabric. Generally, Cloud thought it was pretty tacky to put your bike's name on its side… but he'd done it for Zack. By the seat, on the curved blue metal between the rider's knees and the handlebars, was the word  _Odin_.

"Cloud," Zack said, sounding a little breathless. He just stared at the bike, still holding his armful of cloth up above it.

Cloud gently took it from him and nudged his boyfriend. Zack straddled the bike and put his hands on the handlebars, but not before running his fingertips reverently over the carefully-painted word.

"Most of the original frame is in there somewhere," Cloud said, watching as Zack tested what it was like to sit. This Odin was larger than the old one, and the shape was different. It had to feel strange at first, and would take some getting used to. "There weren't a lot of parts worth saving, but the ones I could… I tried to repurpose them."

Zack finally looked at him. His eyes pinned Cloud in place. "I thought you scrapped Odin after I signed him over to you."

"That was the original plan." Cloud dropped the cover and walked over, closer, until he could cup the side of Zack's face, now about as high as his diaphragm. His hand, gentle as anything, slid into Zack's hair. He received an affectionate nuzzle into his palm. "But I was thinking about it, a few days after you left… and hearing you discuss the bikes with Genesis when you came back, just…" He sighed. "It's just rare I meet anyone with as genuine and enthusiastic a love for bikes as you. You were the only one in SOLDIER, it seemed like, who cared about the bikes. It didn't seem fair that you had to be the one without."

"Spike…" The familiar nickname made warmth blossom in Cloud's belly. "When did you find time to do this?"

Cloud shrugged. "Whenever. Late hours, I guess. When it was slow at work at the old shop with my uncle I'd mess around with it too. Actually—before we got together and you guys would visit me at the shop, Genesis caught me working on it, and Angeal once too, I think."

"This must have cost a fortune, Cloud…"

Cloud shook his head. "Partly why it took so long. Most of the parts are recycled—the really important stuff isn't, of course—and I did it by hand. When I had a delivery out of town, I'd pick up a new part for him… and once I got this job, it got a lot easier, obviously."

"Cloud," Zack said, shaking his head, overwhelmed.

The mechanic took pity on him. He covered Zack's hands on the handlebars with his own. They were bigger, and just as worn—but from swordfighting, not from garage work. Cloud stroked the knuckles of Zack's fingers before directing him to reach a new lever nearby.

"Pull this," Cloud said, his voice gentle as he instructed, "and…"

They did so together. The long compartments on the front of bike sprang out.

Fenrir, Cloud's own bike, had been designed without much inspiration from outside sources. He'd sketched out the bike of his dreams and set out to make it a reality. The spaces on Fenrir for Tsurugi were perhaps the inventions he was most proud of in his whole design. Lazard Deusericus also liked them. Each of the five other bikes Cloud had crafted thus far had built compartments that could be customized to suit a SOLDIER's weapons—swords, guns, and materia.

"I had the one on the right casted for Galatine," Cloud said as they opened. "But you can change that, if you decided to get a new blade."

Like this Zack wouldn't have to awkwardly ride with Galatine strapped to his back anymore. He could even fight on Odin now, with his weapon easy to draw. It was hard, but Cloud's first class on swordfighting while riding—requested by Lazard—was scheduled for next month.

"He's…fuckin' gorgeous," Zack breathed. He still sounded awestruck.

Now slightly embarrassed by his large gift, Cloud twisted around so he could kiss his boyfriend. "So are you."

"Mm," Zack agreed, his lips shaping into a smile against Cloud's mouth. Now he seemed more like himself. He grabbed the sides of Cloud's face and kept him close as his lips formed dozens of lovely shapes against Cloud's. Unlike his rough hands, Zack's kisses were always so, so soft. His tongue coaxed Cloud's into playing and they brushed together with care, Zack's running lovingly over the smooth plushness of Cloud's bottom lip and the blunt hardness of his teeth.

Zack gave his shoulders a small tug and Cloud wobbled, unbalanced. A moment later he was straddling the bike too. Odin's seat was not meant for two people. They were now scooped up together in the small dip of the seat. His dick was all smashed up against Zack's.

Cloud opened his mouth to say something or maybe just to laugh, but Zack deepened their kiss and stole the breath from his lungs. His hand was strong on the side of Cloud's head, and the other slid down Cloud's back to cup his ass and pull, grinding them together.

After a little bit of this, breathlessly trying to keep up and letting Zack rock their hips together, Cloud felt the bulge in Zack's uniform pants a little more solidly than before. Oh.  _Damn_. He really  _had_ enjoyed the gift.

Zack pulled away and Cloud tried to follow, his lashes lowered, in a panting daze. The SOLDIER started fiddling with his belts.

He looked up and cracked a grin even as his gaze remained hot and serious. "I want you to fuck me," Zack said, grabbing his mostly-hard cock once it was freed and giving it a few quick strokes.

"Uh," Cloud said, "Okay."

His hands fell to Zack's waist and hesitated. Their positioning was bad, and the request had been so abrupt. Zack covered Cloud's hands with his, like Cloud had done a minute or two earlier, and slowly pushed up his knit uniform top. Cloud got the idea, and pulled it over Zack's head once the SOLDIER removed his pauldrons and tossed aside the clunky belt.

The garage was usually chilly. It was the end of winter, now, and for months it had been quite cold down here. The basement levels had poor insulation and this floor even less so, since the floor was all cement. Far off on the other side of the level was a hangar door that led to a long, fairly steep tunnel up to the surface—it was how they got all the vehicles actually to the top of the plate. Frigid air seeped down into the garage area every time it opened.

Zack didn't seem to care. His bared chest was so delightfully warm against Cloud's hands as he ran them across his taut abs, petting down Zack's sides. Cloud was an active man, but he simply didn't do anything close to as much physical activity as his four boyfriends. They practiced his swordfighting with him, and Cloud had access to some of the gyms as a ShinRa employee and used them regularly, but Zack had a strict workout regime and went out to fight monsters on the regular.

Zack's body was such a treat as a result. He had lean, defined muscles, paired with broad shoulders that were nice to rest your head on and a trim waist it was nice to hug. Cloud did neither of those things and skimmed his hands back up, stopping to brush his thumbs across Zack's nipples, hardened from the chill in the air.

Then they continued, past his clavicle and his tanned neck, then into that thick, dark hair. Cloud worked his fingers into it nice and deep, then tugged Zack down into a steaming kiss.

Between them Zack pumped at his cock and rolled his hips into Cloud's as much as he could in the tiny space. Zack's tongue delved deep into Cloud's mouth now, making Cloud's toes curl as it swiped across his palate. His lips were hot and fucking  _greedy_ , stealing his breath, making Cloud gasp and grip his fistfuls of hair tighter.

Zack was trying to get Cloud into it as fast as possible. It worked, of course. When Zack's hand slipped past the popped button on Cloud's jeans his cock was flushed and filling out already. Zack's lips moved down to Cloud's neck as he eased it out entirely.

Cloud just groaned, letting Zack work him over for the time being. His head lolled back on his neck as Zack bit at his skin, not hard enough for it to hurt but enough to make Cloud's breath stutter and his fists tighten in Zack's hair again.

The grimy fluorescent lights on the ceiling blurred as Zack jerked him off. Cloud stared at them, dazed, his whole body shuddering as Zack paired another bite to his sensitive neck with a swipe across the head of his cock with his thumb.

"I need to…" Cloud said, trailing off to sigh deeply as Zack gave a firm stroke from the root of his dick to the tip, "Get stuff. In the office."

"Okay." Zack kissed the skin over his fluttering pulse. "Be quick about it."

The order made Cloud's cock buck in Zack's hand. He got off Odin, a little hazy, and stumbled towards his workspace. He hardly even cared that his dick was out and slapping against his jeans with each step.

There was a tiny handwashing station in his office and Cloud hastily scrubbed off the last of the stubborn oil from the friction plates he'd been handling earlier. There was lube in a drawer and some condoms too—he grabbed both.

Through the window he could see Zack irritably kicking off his boots, sitting sideways on his new bike now. He looked damn good on it—the new Odin fit him so well. Cloud felt a surge of pride and walked back to his boyfriend with his chest unconsciously puffed out like a displaying Chocobo. Zack gave him an odd, fond look, tilting his head.

Despite the pause of a minute or two Zack was just as hot and enthusiastic as he was before Cloud left. "Sorry," Zack murmured, even though there was nothing to apologize for, "I just need this." He kissed Cloud again and then turned, bracing his forearms on Odin and bending over.

Cloud murmured something soothing to him as he surveyed the situation.

Odin was  _really_ not an ideal location for a fuck. The seat was wider than most bikes but certainly no bed. The kickstand was sturdy and would keep the bike up through gentle, physical nudges and strong desert winds, but the kind of wobbling that would inevitably come with its owner getting pounded on top of it? Probably not.

Regardless, Zack's tan, muscular ass was in his hands—literally. Cloud ran his hands over the toned curves of it, giving one gentle swat as he thought. He absently spread Zack's cheeks with his thumbs and watched as his asshole clenched, probably in anticipation. Zack twisted a bit and peered down the corded muscles of his back to wink at Cloud. "Get on with it, Mr. Mechanic. My dick's killin' me at this point."

Cloud let out the ungraceful snort of someone who attempts to hold in their laughter but fails miserably. His quiet chuckles made Zack's serious expression crack into a goofy grin. He laughed too, and their amusement echoed off the walls of the empty and lonely garage.

Zack really was horny as hell, though, and hiked a knee up onto the back of the bike. He impatiently reached back and fisted his hand in Cloud's shirt. "You brought lube with you?"

"Yeah, yeah," Cloud answered, pulling it out of his pocket. He squirted some out onto his fingers as he asked, "What happened to shy Zack? He used to get so nervous every time he  _kissed_ me, let alone demanded I fuck him."

"Hey," Zack said, with a touch of a whine in his voice. Cloud's fingers danced along the curve of his asscrack. The dark, curly hairs were soft and fine; he loved to swipe his fingers through them, and did so now. He used one thumb to spread Zack's left cheek, though it was hardly necessary…the position had Zack spread out deliciously for him already.

"You don't need to pull that card on me," Zack protested, his face pinker than it had been a minute ago. "Those were dark days, man."

"We're still in the Dark Ages, then," Cloud countered. He pressed one lubed finger to Zack's entrance and slid it around in gentle circles, until the whole thing was slick. Nearby hair glued into glistening clumps, almost like little spikes… Zack's ass matched his head.

Cloud had to bite his lip harshly to stop from laughing; he doubted Zack would appreciate Cloud chuckling at this particular moment. He slid in a finger to distract himself, to get on with it already. Zack was still frowning, not liking the acknowledgement that, yes, Zack was still occasionally shy around him.

One finger quickly became two and just as quickly three. None of his boyfriends required as long and tender a prep as him. SOLDIER bodies could do a lot of things unenhanced folks' could not. It wasn't like any of them could take a dick dry— _hell_  no—but their muscles tended to relax quicker and accept things like dick or toys more easily than others. With Cloud, they had to be gentle, but with each other, they could let loose a bit more. At times Cloud was slightly jealous, but he knew at this point it wasn't worth worrying about things outside his control.

He fucked Zack fast and hard on his fingers, crooking them in the way he knew Zack liked. His boyfriend smelled like sweat, as he'd worked out and assisted leading a swordsmanship class today, but Cloud was no better, streaked with grease as he always was. His ass gripped Cloud's fingers firm and tight.

"Condom?" Cloud asked. That was an involved question about whether Zack had been injured today—if he'd gotten any open wounds or scratches or handled the blood or fluids of an injured comrade.

"We're good without it," Zack answered, confirming that none of those things had occurred. The other four got tested bi-weekly at least anyway, when they checked in from almost every mission or got a checkup or transfusion.

Cloud stroked his own cock, generously adding more lube. The chilly air did nothing to make the cold lube feel any better, but when Cloud fucked into Zack his body was hot. Zack liked that first thrust to be slow but deep, giving it to him millimeter by millimeter as he adjusted. Cloud filled him up slow and stopped when his balls came to rest against Zack's.

That usually wasn't possible, unless they were doing doggy style, and even that was a deal more intimate than this, bent over a damn motorcycle. It was cute, though, and Cloud smiled weakly even as he waited a minute, waiting for Zack to give him some indication that he was okay with Cloud moving.

He got it and Cloud slowly pulled out. Zack's hole twitched around him, involuntary little spasms that made Cloud's lungs heave with the effort of staying cool. He withdrew until he was gone completely, and then thrust back in again, still tantalizingly slowly. Zack groaned as he was stretched around the head of Cloud's cock again—every damn time, he loved that part the most.

As the speed of Cloud's thrusts gradually increased Zack got more and more into it—shoving himself back to take it all, egging Cloud on with things like, " _There you go, baby, give it to me like that, yeah?"_ and bracing his forehead on his arm as he jerked himself off with his free hand. Cloud almost laughed again; his gift had made Zack so ridiculously horny.

If getting fucked over this bike was what Zack wanted, fine; Cloud could roll with it. That was what Cloud Strife did. He grabbed those angular hips and really  _gave_ it to him, just as Zack instructed.

Only the low, constant humming of the lights overhead distracted from the wet  _schlop schlop_ of Zack's ass as Cloud fucked it. When he was younger—even younger than Zack—he used to get embarrassed about that kind of thing but now he couldn't give less of a shit. It was just one small part of an experience that had dozens of small parts that combined to be something fantastic (or, at least, usually fantastic, and  _definitely_ fantastic when it was with the people Cloud loved).

There was a lot to enjoy and appreciate, like the deep line along Zack's spine, tight from the way he was keeping himself upright. The slight jiggle of his cheeks every time Cloud thrust into him. His thighs, straining, so muscular and shapely. Zack's voice, rougher than usual, dripping in profanity but still every bit as sweet as it always was. The way he sighed in bliss and praised Cloud when he gave his prostate the loving attention he craved; it drove Cloud wild.

And all those small parts, and countless others (the other, less-often appreciated parts of Zack's body, the contrast of Cloud's paler hands on Zack's warm skin, Zack's hair spilling over Odin, the fact he and Zack were doing this at all after their unconventional courtship) did indeed coalesce into a wonderful experience… one that had them both gasping, rutting against each other, marking Odin as  _Zack's_  territory now. The bike, like Fenrir, would become in time a part of Zack, something he could control and maneuver without a thought. Like wielding a sword, perhaps.

And in less poetic terms—Zack just got off fucking  _hard_ getting taken over the damn thing.

" _Cloouud,_ " Zack was groaning, working his thick cock, and taking Cloud's so well, clenching around his older boyfriend.

"Are you close?—Shit." Cloud's rumbly purr changed quickly to irritation. If he had heard it that meant Zack certainly did too; the elevator doors had pinged on their floor. Someone, probably a truck driver for a mission transport, was reporting to get their vehicle.

Cloud had sort of been looking forward to seeing Zack come all over Odin, but he didn't dare keep them out here. It took a good minute or two to get all the way over to where the bikes were, in a small, secluded corner because in years past no one gave a crap about the motorcycles, but if they were spotted that would  _not_ end well for them.

Zack was so loathe to get off of Cloud's cock he reached his arms back and let Cloud grip his hands. His boyfriend was flexible as hell and didn't seem to mind the strain on his shoulders as he lowered his knee and Cloud took a step back, Zack moving with him.

They waddled like that back into Cloud's office. What was that called…wheelbarrowing? Probably not, but it was all Cloud could think of, and he laughed under his breath as the two of them awkwardly made it into the door, Zack still impaled on his cock. Zack laughed too, moving too quickly and pulling off.

"Dammit," he joked, "I thought we were gonna make it without you slippin' outta me."

Zack's accent, like Cloud's, became more pronounced when he was sleepy, drunk, or extremely aroused. Cloud had spent over ten years in Midgar already so his Nibel accent was not what it once was…but Zack, at times, really dazzled him with that Gongagan drawl.

Cloud had a small rolled-up mat (for yoga; some SOLDIER shoved it in his hands his first week with the building and attempted to show him some positions. Yoga was not Cloud's thing, but he kept the mat, for office fucks). Zack spread it out and laid down on his back as Cloud quickly closed the office door, then peered out the glass windows to make sure they did not have a voyeur perusing the motorcycles. The windows were only from the ceiling to halfway down the wall; Cloud dropped down to lay his body over Zack's, and knew the both of them were out of sight.

He was still so, so warm, and Zack cradled Cloud's face in his hands and kissed his mouth and cheekbones and temple. He wrapped his strong legs around Cloud's hips and Cloud panted, pressing his forehead to the side of Zack's head, rolling his hips. Their full, flushed dicks rubbed together and it was good but it wasn't as good as fucking Zack was.

Cloud lifted himself up, away from that irresistible strength and warmth, and lined his cock up again. Zack didn't even need a few gentle thrusts to loosen back up; he was ready to take him.

It took a minute to recover from the interruption. Before, on Odin, Zack had been close to climax. Now there was a little bit of petting, some goofy smiles, some talk—Zack commented on the particularly shapely stain on the ceiling of Cloud's office that he hadn't yet seen because the other two times he'd come down here for sex it had been Cloud on his back staring up at the ceiling and its stains—but soon they got there again, hot and quick and desperate.

Cloud always liked to see Zack when they fucked. On Odin he got to see parts of Zack he saw less often (like that defined, broad back) but now Cloud could see how Zack had a splotchy blush on his chest. His gaze burned hot. Cloud couldn't look away from those eyes. Zack even had a red mark on his forehead from where he'd been resting it against his arm, bent over the bike.

Cloud braced his arms on either side of Zack's body and fucked him with deep, sensuous rolls of his hips. He kept the pace fast but steady, his arms trembling with the effort of keeping this up, and he was reinvigorated as Zack coasted his hands up his chest, squeezed his hips with his legs, and crooned, "I love you so  _much,_  Cloud."

Cloud just grunted, his lungs unwilling to let him respond in kind right now. Zack got the sentiment though. Zack kept petting his skin with one hand, goading him on with that cheeky, yet serious look in his eye, digging one booted foot into Cloud's ass as if to help him go even deeper, and Cloud finally stilled altogether as his cock bucked and he came inside his boyfriend.

Zack let out a soft groan. He smiled, pleased with Cloud coming even as he did himself, his hand jerking his cock until he was clenching around Cloud's softening dick and shooting come across his belly.

That tactile gentleness returned as Cloud pulled out. His arms were shaking. Zack gathered him down in a hug and murmured into his ear. All of his boyfriends could support Cloud's weight with ease, and Zack encouraged Cloud to sag onto him, heedless of his weight as he caught his breath and nuzzled into Zack's neck.

"That was good," Zack breathed. Cloud's eyes were closed but he could feel Zack stretching out his cramped hips and thighs as best as he could while lying down with a lover on top of him. The image of a spider or roach on its back struggling to turn over with its legs wiggling fruitlessly in the air came to mind, and Cloud hid his grin into Zack's damp skin.

Zack's kind fingers stroked through the short hairs at the nape of his neck and coasted up to the thicker hair on the top of his skull. Cloud purred deep in his chest as his one hand found the other side of Zack's face, cupping his cheek tenderly.

They laid there for a short time, touching and nuzzling and murmuring to each other. Then Zack's arms looped around Cloud's waist (one possessive hand on his ass, though Cloud hardly minded) and the two of them fell quiet and dozed for maybe five minutes. Then Cloud got back up on his knees, gave a tremendous stretch, and said, "Wanna head home with me when I'm finished with what I was doing?"

"We haven't even had three dates yet, and he's asking if I want to go back to his place," Zack said in a stage-whisper, fanning his face as if overwhelmed.

They kissed one last time before pulling their clothes back on. Cloud's were mostly in the office, having been discarded after he shut the door, but Zack's were all back by Odin. If a SOLDIER really had come to get a motorcycle (no one did; Cloud would have heard the engine start from two dozen feet away) it would have been no secret what he and Zack were doing. After Cloud peered around for anybody and gave the okay Zack went back to Odin, clomping around naked except for his SOLDIER boots (Cloud got a vivid image of Genesis coming to visit him in the garage, back in the day).

Cloud returned to his friction plates. There was a box of parts that had to be inspected and inventoried and ShinRa's Motorcycle Specialist went through them quickly, jotting down notes with a hand that still sort of smelled of lube despite the quick hand-wash.

Occasionally he would look up through the glass windows to check up on Zack. Zack spent some time admiring Odin some more, crouching to see him from all angles. He sat on the bike again (Cloud didn't miss the way Zack sort of rocked back into the seat once or twice, perhaps relishing any small soreness or even maybe imagining Cloud's cock in him again,  _fuck_ ). Then Zack retrieved Cloud's skateboard (pausing to give him a gross, wet kiss to his cheek) and kicked around the big, empty space of the garage.

The concrete was smooth and the spaces between the types of vehicles open, which was why Cloud had it down here in the first place. You weren't supposed to ride a board in boots, because it fucked up the griptape and you just got so much better grip with proper flat, skate shoes, but Zack was able to get away with a lot of things where Cloud was concerned.

He'd taught Zack how do to a kickflip, and it was all Zack could do other than the most basic ollie. He did kickflip after kickflip after kickflip, and since he seemed to be content with that Cloud averted his eyes and focused on his work.

He finished quickly. They wiped down the yoga mat with sanitizing wipes and put Odin's purple cover back on. Zack grabbed Cloud right beside the motorcycle, dipped him like they were ending a dramatic first dance at a fancy event in a cheesy movie, and kissed him like that, like Zack should have been wearing a tux and Cloud a fancy red gown that glittered.

Cloud almost giggled after Zack righted him, but managed to bury it with a grumpy scowl. Zack tapped his cheek, blushing a little himself, and grabbed his hand as they left the garage.

The commute to work was really long. An entire elevator ride downstairs. The two of them went back up now, greeting people who entered that they knew, and saying  _have a nice one_ as they left. When they got off they walked slowly to Genesis's apartment, feet scuffing the ground, their shoulders brushing, bumping into each other on purpose as they enjoyed a last minute between just the two of them.

Sephiroth answered the door. He was still in full uniform, probably having just returned home for the evening himself. The first couple times Cloud met Sephiroth he was not wearing this particular imposing outfit; his stomach still flipped a bit when he saw Sephiroth in it. He seemed taller, colder, more untouchable.

Except that they did touch, and Sephiroth initiated it, even. He tugged Cloud to his chest after they walked through so the door could be shut behind them. "Hello, Cloud," he said in that lovely rumbling voice, his hand warm on the back of Cloud's neck.

"Mm. Hey." Cloud tilted his face up and Sephiroth kissed him hello.

Those mako eyes darkened for a moment as Sephiroth noticed his swollen lips, the bite on his neck, and his messy hair. Cloud leant against him more heavily for a moment, flirting in their own, quiet way, and Sephiroth's hand on his neck grew heavier.

Then Cloud left him so Zack could greet him and he moseyed further into the apartment. Genesis was stretched out on the couch, a new book in his hands. Cloud took it from him, marked his page, and placed those hands on his hips instead as he sat on the edge.

"Hey," he said again. He kept his face expressionless as Genesis glared at him.

As expected, that glare quickly cracked into a slightly crooked smile. (It wasn't perfect, and sometimes Genesis got insecure about his grin, but Cloud, at least, was a fan.) "He takes my book and wants me to give him attention," he drawled, even as one hand slipped under Cloud's stained shirt to rest on his bare skin. "If I didn't adore him so much I'd be irritated."

"No you wouldn't," Cloud countered. He leant closer, until he could rest his forehead against Genesis's and bump their noses together. "We all know you reading a book really means 'come distract me.'"

"It means 'distract me and get a Firaga to the face,'" Genesis murmured. Cloud finished the  _Firaga to the face_ part in his head. They all teased Genesis about that on the regular, so he brought it up when he was making a light-hearted joke about himself. Genesis' lips started to pucker, like he was waiting for Cloud to come in the rest of the way and kiss him. Cloud did not, naturally, and stood.

"I'm gonna change," he said.

Genesis said something mildly insulting and Sephiroth informed him from across the room, "Angeal got back early, a few hours ago. Change into something in the guest room."

Cloud's eyebrows rose. Angeal was due back in two days. He'd been sent out on a mission near Bone Village to dispose of mako-addled monsters. Over the past few months these kinds of missions were becoming more and more frequent, and the problem more and more obvious. The public was starting to broadcast reports of these monsters, their destruction, and ShinRa's involvement.

Some of his clothes were in the guest room, neatly tucked away in a dresser beside those belonging to Zack, Sephiroth, and Angeal. Cloud lived 'officially' with Sephiroth, because that apartment had an empty room room and desperately needed someone to liven it up. Genesis had that huge, cartoony bed and always welcomed them all, however, so he was often here, as well. When he wandered back in to the living room Genesis lifted an arm for Cloud to sit next to him properly this time.

Genesis was gentle and always so affectionate. He told Cloud once that he wanted to  _give him the world_ and so far seemed to be trying to accomplish that. Sephiroth, sitting across from them on an end chair and flipping through their stack of take-out menus, told him that they were planning to wake Angeal up once they ordered and their food arrived. He was asleep in Genesis's bed (and wow, imagining Angeal just beyond that closed door dwarfed in that big bed made Cloud smile).

Zack came in from the kitchen with his arms folded. He said, "…Sooo."

The other three glanced at him. Zack perched on the edge of Sephiroth's chair and crossed one leg over the other. He continued, "Cloud showed me the new and improved Odin today. I'm guessing you two already know about him."

Genesis looked delighted. "Finally! Did you like him?"

Zack had been trying to look stern, but he finally grinned and leant forward, his face nothing but eager enthusiasm. "He's  _gorgeous_! How did you guys all manage to keep this a secret from me? We  _suck_ at keeping secrets!"

That was true. The rules of their relationship dictated no more secrets like the ones that landed them in hot water before. They attempted to orchestrate things for birthdays and such but someone always inevitably spilled the beans. It was usually Angeal, bless him—he tended to crack under the pressure of keeping secrets, especially from Genesis. Genesis' birthday had been two months ago (the second birthday in this group Cloud was witnessing, the first being Sephiroth's just a few weeks after he joined their relationship) and the redhead had specifically targeted Angeal, knowing he'd eventually trip up and reveal the details of the excursion they had planned for him.

"It wasn't easy," Sephiroth said, smiling. He had been so excited for Cloud to reveal Odin to Zack, and had even spent some hours with him in the garage, learning bit by bit how to service a motorcycle. He'd exhausted all the space books ShinRa owned and that Midgar's public libraries possessed and had moved on to some engineering and auto books in order to  _have something that we can share, Cloud. I want to be able to talk with you about the things you love._

Precious.

Cloud said, "I threatened everyone, basically. I've been rewarding Angeal for every week he goes without accidentally spilling the gysahl greens."

"With what?" Zack asked.

Cloud shrugged. "Took him out for a few dates to places he likes." Angeal wasn't complicated where gifts were concerned. He liked almost everything and anything his boyfriends gave him.

"Hmm… I'm impressed." Zack smiled gently at them all. "He's great. I still can't really believe it… I figured I'd pick up one of Cloud's new bikes once he had a dozen or so of 'em made."

"Nah." Cloud shook his head and let Genesis snuggle into his side. "Yours has been in the works for a long time."

"A really long time. Since the day I met you, huh?"

"Since a few days afterward." Cloud grinned, and rested his head against the top of Genesis's. "But since then, yeah."

Zack gave him a look—one of this limitless, deep affection—and Genesis said with a squeeze to Cloud's knee, "You two fucked, didn't you."

Sephiroth hid a smile behind his hand, and Zack leant sideways so he could wrap an arm around Sephiroth's shoulders and harass him a bit. " _Yeah_ , we did," Zack said, sticking his nose in the air. "Right there on Odin, actually! It was hot as hell; you shoulda been there."

Sephiroth seemed interested. "On the bike? How did that work?"

"It kind of didn't," Cloud admitted.

"It worked just fine."

"It  _really_  kind of didn't."

Zack got off of Sephiroth and advanced, his fists clenched in mock-fury. Genesis defended Cloud from Zack's playful smacks for all of ten seconds, then let out a dramatic sigh of exhaustion and flopped back against the back of the couch. Cloud was left to Zack's mercy.

The youngest SOLDIER had this thing about giving him noogies. He said it made him feel like their six year age difference was reversed. Cloud hated it. He ducked under Zack's arm and shoved off the hand that tried to delve into his spikes. He retreated to the kitchen and was followed, but managed to lose Zack on the other side of the apartment. Zack had decided grabbing a beer and kicking back in front of the television was more appealing than chasing his boyfriend.

Cloud decided to check up on Angeal. He quietly and carefully opened the door, easing his head into the darkened room. Genesis occasionally got migraines (the problem with being so powerful a magic user, he said) and had thick curtains to blot out any sunlight, not that the room got too much anyway what with the smog. One of the two was drawn shut.

To Cloud's surprise, Angeal was awake. Just barely, though. He sat upright in the bed, the covers still a twisted mess around his hips. He was rubbing his eyes.

Cloud quietly entered the room and shut the door behind himself with a small click. Angeal smiled tiredly at him, still rubbing the boogers out of one eye with his knuckle. "Cloud," he murmured. "I heard talking. M'up. Com'ere."

It was hard to resist a request from this man. Angeal looked so rumpled and exhausted and sweet as Cloud kicked off his shoes and crawled up the edge of the bed. The SOLDIER raised his hands as Cloud got close and cupped his face, brushing careful thumbs under Cloud's eyes.

"Any injuries?" Cloud asked after pressing a gentle kiss to one of those thumbs. Angeal looked a bit ragged—scruffier than usual. His hair was sticking up oddly and he smelled of body wash. He must have had a shower just before falling asleep a few hours earlier. His breath even still smelled of spearmint.

"Some, but they're healed. Medical checked me out and let me go. It's good to be back."

"It's good to have you here," Cloud confirmed. He slid his arms around Angeal's neck, shifting more onto the man's lap so he could hug him. His embrace was welcomed and returned, and familiar wide arms slid around his lower back, holding him close.

It did not escape Cloud's notice that Angeal took a discreet breath, inhaling the scent of his hair, but he did not comment on it. Instead he raked his fingers through Angeal's tangled locks, brushing them tenderly off his forehead and out of his eyes. Angeal settled Cloud more firmly onto his lap, running sleep-heavy hands over his thighs and curling them around to rest on his bottom.

He let his head drop to Cloud's shoulder, his face angled to rest against the blond's skin. Those warm hands gave his ass a squeeze. "It's  _very_  good to be back," he mumbled, sounding far too sleepy to really be all that seductive.

"Didn't get any sex out near Bone Village?"

Angeal chuckled, his amusement puffing out into the hollow of Cloud's throat. "Unfortunately not. My lovers were all home in Midgar."

"Bummer," Cloud said, sympathetic. "But at least you got home a couple days early."

"Mmmmm..." Angeal let out a long, low hum. His eyes had closed; Cloud felt the tickle of them sweeping shut. Every inch of him was soft and inviting. All that hard, intimidating muscle was rarely utilized in destructive ways, in the grand scheme of things. Angeal was a warrior, yes, but he was also so much more than that. He could be gentle as anything as he tended to his hobbies or to his partners.

Cloud dug his fingers into Angeal's tense shoulders. Angeal's hands tightened on his hips, a sign he appreciated it. Cloud massaged his worn-out boyfriend's muscles until he realized Angeal was no longer passively resting against his shoulder but kissing his neck. His fingers paused; Angeal nipped at his pulse before sucking the thin skin covering it between his blunt front teeth.

Letting out a shaky breath, Cloud's massage continued again. He surely reeked of Zack still, and sex besides. Angeal's big, wide hands crept up to slip underneath the waistband of Cloud's soft pants and briefs to cup his ass, this time skin-to-skin. A small, quiet laugh bubbled up as Angeal ground Cloud down into his lap. Some of his fingers had crept closer and closer until his fingertips were resting (not so) innocently against Cloud's entrance.

"You're always horny when you wake up," Cloud murmured.

Angeal just responded with a quick, "I know," before gently biting at his neck again.

Those hands soon departed so Angeal could tug down Cloud's pants, ease out his cock, and stroke it as he rolled Cloud's balls in his other hand. Cloud put a finger beneath Angeal's chin and lifted up his head. He gazed deep into those still-sleepy, glowing blue eyes before ducking his head to capture Angeal's mouth.

And it felt so good. The mission had left Angeal's lips chapped and his face more bearded than Cloud had seen it in quite some time. There were so many textures—including the softness of his skin and hair, too—and sensations, like the wetness of Angeal's tongue curling around his contrasted with the more solid rasp of blankets and his calloused hands working his cock.

Angeal wanted to introduce yet another. "Why don't you grab the lube?"

Those suggestions Angeal liked to purr in that damn voice of his were often packaged with the subtle weight of an order. Cloud was crawling off Angeal's lap before it even really registered. He went to the bedside table, kneeling awkwardly in his mussed clothes, and retrieved the bottle.

When he returned Angeal slid his pants and underwear down, his touch lingering on his thighs and calves. A guiding hand on the small of Cloud's back positioned him on Angeal's lap again, straddling him. Angeal looked extremely serious as he squeezed lube onto his fingers again. His brows were drawn together like he was angry, perhaps.

Angeal tried hard to be stern and grumpy at times, but he was an expressive, easily-flustered man, really. He'd never beat Genesis in a theatrics contest but Cloud would never forget how red in the face Angeal had gotten when he'd shown up at Highwind Auto with flowers not meant for Cloud but his boyfriends—which Cloud understandably misinterpreted.

Cloud gave his big sweetheart of a man an encouraging hum as a slick finger swept in a lewd circle around his asshole, then pushed in. Angeal pressed a kiss to Cloud's Adam's apple as he teased him with that first finger. The stretch wasn't enough to really feel like much, and it certainly wasn't enough for Cloud, who rocked his hips back impatiently.

Angeal was not that interested in letting Cloud draw him in and seduce him like Zack had Cloud earlier. He was focused, and that was something Cloud could appreciate. So, he gave up trying to reach for Angeal's dick in return and just went with it. If Angeal wanted to finger him until he came without reciprocation, fine. He'd hardly complain.

Soon Cloud was leaning almost all of his weight on Angeal, his eyes closed, breathing quietly and heavily. The three thick fingers inside him were gentle but so rhythmic, deep and insistent even if they moved slowly. That soul-deep, thorough fucking that was Angeal's trademark always did Cloud in.

"I missed you," Angeal said again. One of his hands was supporting Cloud while the other was busy fingering him. Cloud wrung his cock with a shaky hand of his own. "One night I couldn't stop thinking about how much I wanted to spread you out over my lap and make you cum, just like this."

Cloud did not respond with words. His tiny gasp and the involuntary clenching of his ass spoke enough. Angeal's fingers kept fucking him, slow and deep. He murmured to him, "I love watching you get off."

"Never woulda guessed," Cloud managed, speaking right into Angeal's hair. "With all the time you spend teasing me."

"I'm giving you the attention you deserve." Angeal pressed another kiss to Cloud's neck. The hand on Cloud's ass gave a tiny squeeze. Just for a moment, he rolled Cloud down on the large bulge in his sleep pants.

Gaia, Angeal didn't even have his cock in him and Cloud still felt goddamn claimed. The  _attention_ Angeal always gave him, especially at times like this…. It got Cloud off more than he'd expected it to, before he became part of the relationship when he spent time fantasizing about what they'd be like as lovers.

The hand he had working his cock sped up. "There you go," Angeal rumbled. Cloud worked his hand into Angeal's hair and gripped it, cradling his boyfriend as he came. Angeal's fingers did not pause, pushing in as surely as ever despite the spasming of Cloud's ass around them.

The second orgasm sapped the last of Cloud's strength. He leant against Angeal entirely now. Angeal eased himself backwards, adjusting Cloud so he could lie on his belly on top of the SOLDIER. Cloud could feel Angeal's erection pressing against his thigh but Angeal was making no moves to do anything about it. His hands rubbed down Cloud's back, soothing and slow.

Briefly, Cloud wondered if Angeal had any close calls on his mission. All four were extra cuddly after missions they nearly died on.

Neither spoke for a little while. Eventually Angeal kissed the top of Cloud's head and asked, "Who were you playing around with earlier?"

Cloud almost snickered at the phrasing, but didn't really have the energy for it. "Zack," he responded. "Showed him Odin today."

"Oh?" Angeal sounded pleased. He spoiled Zack rotten, and was so happy Cloud finished the bike. "It's amazing I didn't blow it."

"I know it is. You managed it though. He had no idea; his face was pretty great."

"I wish we could have seen it."

Angeal's fingers worked into Cloud's hair and scritched his scalp soothingly as the two men lay there together. The cotton of Angeal's shirt beneath Cloud's face smelled so good… and he was so comfortable and accommodating of Cloud's knees, hips and elbows. He could have slept. He almost did.

But the door opening stirred Cloud, and he cracked open his eyes to peer at Angeal's shoulder as whoever it was approached the bed. He knew how he looked—naked from the waist down, still on top of Angeal. The lube had only just begun to dry on his ass; he was still slick and sticky. He didn't care enough to cover himself with a blanket or try to act bashful.

The bed dipped, and two warm hands came down on his lower back. They coasted upwards in a firm massage. Cloud let out an appreciative hum.

Sephiroth's voice came from just above him; he must have been kneeling over the both of them. "You're awake."

"Mm." Then came the soft sound of the two men kissing. Sephiroth had this thing where he almost always cupped Angeal's jaw when they did that. It was cute, and Cloud smiled as he felt one of the hands on his back disappear for a moment.

Sephiroth's lips then pressed affectionately to the back of Cloud's neck, just above the swoop of his shirt. "Nursing him back to health, my Cloud?"

"You know it." Cloud lifted his head a bit, so he could turn his head and gaze at Sephiroth. He looked like he glowed in the darkened room, with all that moonlight silver. "He's still hard."

Angeal chuckled quietly as Sephiroth and Cloud shared a look and a smile. "…Oh?" Sephiroth asked. The fingers that had been working at the knots in Cloud's shoulder blades tickled as they coasted back down. Sephiroth grabbed Cloud's ass in both his hands, his thumbs dangerously close to his sensitive and relaxed asshole.

"He had a hard mission. We missed him a great deal. I'd say he deserves even more of a welcome."

"Mmmm." Cloud was too exhausted, too high off of what Angeal had done to him to have a comparably sophisticated response. He nuzzled into the younger man beneath him though.

"If you two are offering," was Angeal's answer. He shifted beneath Cloud, his hips rising slightly, his cock pushing into Cloud's spent one.

Farther down on the bed than both of them, Sephiroth was fussing with Angeal's legs. He tugged off the man's pants from the ankles, waiting for Cloud to press his knees into the bed and lift up a bit so they could be slid off. Angeal was not wearing underwear, which made things easier. Cloud wrapped his hand around Angeal's cock, giving the big thing a tender stroke.

He couldn't do that for long, though, because Sephiroth adjusted the both of them again. Cloud went back to lying down on Angeal, his head pillowed on the man's shoulder. His thighs settled on either side of Angeal's, and then Sephiroth pushed Angeal's knees up, so his heels dug into the bedding. Cloud was spread out even more like this. The both of them were set to get fucked.

That did indeed seem to be Sephiroth's goal. "Do I need a condom?" he asked Angeal.

"No. I got tested in medical after reporting in to Lazard."

The positioning was hot as hell. Cloud bit at Angeal's bearded jaw and peered back at Sephiroth. "You wanna take turns with us, Seph?"

Sephiroth was busy putting lube on his fingers and gently working them into Angeal, and did not answer. That was okay, though—his intentions were obvious. Watching any of the other four during this act was one of Cloud's favorite things. Lying right on Angeal as it happened was somewhat new and totally cool. He could feel, and not just see, the intake of breath as Sephiroth added another finger. He could touch the crinkle in Angeal's brow as they slid in deeper, and the tenseness of his clenching jaw as Sephiroth skillfully sought out his prostate, giving it some attention.

"That feel good?" Cloud asked Angeal. He shifted a bit so he could reach between their bodies and slowly pump Angeal's cock. He wasn't quite sitting on it, but there was not really a way to keep it free with Cloud lying against his chest like this. Angeal gave a tiny grin, and it faded after a moment as his gaze flicked down to Cloud.

"Cloud's come twice today, Seph. I don't think he can handle much more."

Sephiroth had been in the middle of smooching the dip at the base of Cloud's spine. He paused and looked at Cloud, his hair sliding over the blond's skin. "I'm definitely not going to be able to get hard again for a while," Cloud said, after taking stock of himself. "But you can still give it to me. It feels good regardless."

The burn of Sephiroth's gaze on his back made Cloud shiver. Cloud knew it turned Sephiroth on when he said stuff like that—saying he wanted Sephiroth's dick in him even without the promise of orgasm, just to experience the sensations of it… for Sephiroth, penetrating somebody was a big thing. Knowing it was appreciated and not taken for granted or abused floored SOLDIER's General.

Angeal's breath grew labored as Sephiroth worked in a fourth and final finger, fucking him more roughly than he would have Cloud. Cloud smoothed a thumb over his angry-looking forehead, murmuring romantic nonsense to him. Angeal's hips jerked underneath Cloud's, lifting the blond up and then lowering him back down.

Cloud was breathing heavily too, the blood rushing in his ears and his whole body sensitized with being this damn close to  _these two_ doing  _that_ so close to him. He didn't realize that Sephiroth had slid his fingers out of Angeal until they were pushing into him. He let out a moan, surprised, and pressed his forehead to Angeal's shoulder.

 _Fuck,_ it felt good. Erection or no erection—getting filled by his partners was always an experience, even if it was occasionally a practice in patience.

"I need my shirt off for this," Cloud muttered, and put his weight on his knees so he could yank his shirt over his head. Angeal's wide hands went to his sides and he felt the tickle of Sephiroth's hair more fully now. This was much better, and more intimate, too.

As Sephiroth prepped Cloud (something that was considerably easier than usual considering Angeal was doing this to him fifteen minutes ago) he said conversationally, "Cloud revealed Odin today."

"I heard." Angeal's voice was rougher than usual with lust. He reached down to spread Cloud's asscheeks with his hands, making Sephiroth's job easier. Cloud squirmed between the two men, hot and trapped and more than a little bothered.

When Sephiroth withdrew and removed his clothes Cloud stretched so he could lean up and over, looking down at Angeal. He smiled—it was even darker in the room now, and he could hardly see him—and bent to kiss him.

While the other two were enhanced and could get by just fine in the darkness they knew Cloud was as blind as a Northern Crater bat with no light source. Sephiroth padded to the bathroom (his heavy, long-legged steps sounded so predatory, and Cloud shivered again) and flicked on the light, half-closing the door behind him.

"Thanks," Cloud gasped, breaking away from Angeal's lips for a moment to say it.

As Sephiroth grabbed the backs of Angeal's knees and pushed them back, totally exposing the other man, he picked up their previous conversation. "Zack's very pleased. He was surprised you didn't—"

"Let it slip,  _yeah_ , I heard," Angeal said. He sounded irritated but Cloud could feel the way his lips were curved into the shape of a smile as he tucked his face against the side of Cloud's head. As Sephiroth shuffled closer on his knees and retracted one arm momentarily so he could position his cock, Cloud moved back down. He rested his head back on Angeal's shoulder and tried to be as out of the way as possible.

Cloud could tell when the head of Sephiroth's cock breached Angeal. Angeal sucked in a breath—one of all pleasure, and no discomfort. The curve of Sephiroth's lean stomach pressed against Cloud's ass as he buried himself fully inside Angeal.

Sephiroth pulled out so he could do it again, and then again. This was such an excellent way to witness Angeal getting pounded. Cloud could see it (he peeked behind himself and watched Sephiroth's handsome face make interesting expressions as he concentrated) and feel it (he was jostled slightly with each thrust in, and Angeal's grasping hands were pulling at him) and hear it (Angeal's tiny sighs and Sephiroth's exhales, tight with exertion). Cloud held on tight and started to laugh—not because anything was funny, but because he was just having  _fun,_ and  _Gaia,_ he loved them, and this.

Angeal chuckled along with him even as he moaned. Cloud's laugh cut off abruptly as, without warning, Sephiroth pulled out of Angeal entirely and fucked into Cloud instead.

The push and slide was a great deal gentler than what Sephiroth had been giving their other boyfriend. Cloud trembled as that thick cock sank deeper into him, filling him up.

Sephiroth knew what he did to Cloud. He purred, " _Good boy_."

Angeal's careful hands stroked his sweaty hair out of his face. Cloud had not the energy to roll his hips back into Sephiroth and take it like he sometimes liked to. Zack and Angeal, in addition to a long day in the garage, had worn him out. This was no hindrance to Sephiroth or Angeal, though. They accommodated him, keeping him comfortable and supported as Sephiroth's dick moved inside him, hot and hard and good.

And it was weird, still being mostly flaccid, and just lying there tiredly as Sephiroth gave it to him—but it wasn't bad. It was even nice. And it was hot— _so_  hot, with Angeal wonderfully hard and horny beneath him and with Sephiroth's hair on his back and feeling so good both inside and outside him.

Sephiroth switched it up on them again, leaving Cloud and entering Angeal again. Cloud gasped at the loss. Angeal clutched at Cloud, his heartbeat thudding away against Cloud's chest.

Sephiroth would fuck Angeal for a while, then Cloud. The other two grabbed at each other, kissing and rubbing and talking, too—casually commenting on how Sephiroth felt inside both of them. They sent each other mischievous glances at Sephiroth's responses. Sephiroth was not shy about revealing how hot he found this…how much he was loving having the both of them ready for his pleasure.

 _Sephiroth_ was the spoiled one in this relationship, really, but it was hard to not give him everything when he was so sinfully hot, and his touch so irresistible. If Cloud was feeling this good in his exhausted state than Angeal must have been flying.

Cloud could tell when Sephiroth pulled out for the last time. His thrusts just before it weren't as deep as before, just shallow ones to give Cloud that delicious stretched feeling with none of the potential for discomfort. As he drew away one of his hands, previously jamming Angeal's knees back towards his chest, gave Cloud's lower back a soothing, lingering pet.  _I'm leaving, but I'll never forget about you._

And then he was back inside Angeal, fucking him  _hard_ —and Cloud was being rocked around with the force of it. He panted, sandwiched between his lovers. He could hear the both of them clearly, close physically and also close to orgasm; the thick, heavy slap of Sephiroth's balls and upper thighs hitting Angeal's ass made Cloud's eyes close, imagining Sephiroth inside him as well.

Summoning the last of his strength, Cloud supported himself on shaky arms and gyrated his hips as best he could. He grinded his soft cock down against Angeal's erection, dragging his balls against the hard shaft. Angeal dug his head back into the pillow, his eyes closing.

Sephiroth pressed his forehead to Cloud's back as he came. Those thrusts into Angeal grew slower, deeper; Sephiroth rolled his hips in a way that was just so damn  _lewd_. Angeal let out a quiet curse, barely-there, as the muscles of his stomach tightened and his cock spurt several thick streams of come. More dribbled across those delicious abs and Cloud watched it all, still working his hips, coaxing release from Angeal.

Sephiroth wound an arm around Cloud's waist and hauled him off Angeal, and it was a good thing, too, because Cloud's arms gave out. He settled behind Sephiroth, spooning up against his broad back after pushing the man's hair out of the way. He laid there with his eyes closed, breathing deeply as the other two came together for kisses.

Angeal was such a damn cuddler. Cloud smiled to himself, half into the bedding, as he felt Angeal's arms brush around him; they were wrapped around Sephiroth now. "You alive over there?" asked Angeal.

Cloud grunted an affirmative.

The SOLDIERs talked quietly between the two of them for a little while. Cloud wasn't really paying attention. He stirred from what was not the first doze of the evening when the bedroom door opened.  _Please, don't be looking for more sex_ , was his first thought.

He didn't have to worry. It was Genesis and Zack, yes, but all they did was crawl into bed with the three of them. Genesis even slid some pants up Cloud's legs. They were not the ones Angeal got him out of before. The redhead tucked himself behind Cloud, stroking gentle hands over his skin, pushing sweaty hair off his neck.

"You four wore him out." Genesis kissed his temple. "I'm almost jealous I didn't get a turn with him."

Cloud groaned. Genesis hummed into his ear; he was just kidding. "Perhaps I'll treat you tomorrow, if you're feeling up to it…"

Zack was at the bottom of the large bed. "While you guys were banging," he said, leaning back on his hands, "Gen and I ordered food. It's here."

"One of you might have to feed me," Cloud muttered. He wasn't  _quite_ that exhausted, but it got him a few chuckles.

"I volunteer for that. I haven't forgotten when you fed me soup and got it all down my shirt."

Cloud gently elbowed Genesis. The man had been sick, and sneezed—it startled Cloud, and the hovering spoonful of broth just in front of his face had tilted. The way Genesis carried on about it, you'd think he'd gotten more cocktail sauce from ShinRa hors d'oeuvres on another tuxedo.

The memory of Genesis saying that, complaining about the food the company served that night, the evening of the  _Celebrating Innovation in our Community_ event… it made Cloud frown. He blinked twice, staring at Zack relaxing.

That was the first night he'd come up here. He'd laughed, when he saw this big bed. Zack had thrown it onto him and posed a bit, because he was nervous and showing off, acting like a goof. They'd all been in fancy suits, Genesis's featuring a bit of a condiment garnish. Sephiroth had told him that he would not penetrate him, because some acts were loaded like that. Angeal had been so gentle with him.

Cloud had just been there for a night that time, just to fuck. Now, he was here to stay.

A lot had changed since then…

Burrowing back into Genesis's embrace, Cloud surveyed his three partners he could see. They were half-clothed or naked altogether. Zack idly scratched at his treasure trail peeking out over the waistband of his sweats and Sephiroth lounged on the bed in the nude, unashamed. Angeal still had that t-shirt on. It had been pushed up to his neck while they all fucked and was rumpled.

"You okay, Cloud?" Zack asked.

Cloud blinked again, coming back to himself. "Yeah," he answered. Zack nodded, his eyes flicking over him briefly like he was checking for physical proof to contradict Cloud's statement.

Genesis's fingers entwined with his. "He's just tired."

That night of the event… Genesis had been the first one to get close to him, once he and Sephiroth arrived at the apartment. No one had been making any moves, having a stiff conversation in the living room. Genesis pressed up against Cloud's back and twisted their fingers together much like they were right now, and got things rolling.

"I was just," Cloud started, and stopped.

The others eyed him, Sephiroth rolling over to catch his gaze. Cloud clenched his jaw for a moment, as unsure of his words as ever. "I was just," he repeated, "thinking… of the first time I came up here."

Cloud couldn't quite see Angeal's face over Sephiroth's shoulder, and he couldn't see Genesis at all, but he knew the two of them were smiling gently at him. "Yeah?" Zack asked. He tilted his head, that one spike he had in his face falling into his eyes.

Now Cloud felt awkward. He stared at his own hand. The nails were blunt. The nail of his right thumb was black from when he'd gotten it pinched a few weeks back while working on Odin and the flesh underneath bruised.

"I think it's Odin," he said. "It feels like things have come in a circle, a bit. Like that era's ending."

"Everything was a lot different when you first started working on him, hm."

Zack always understood what Cloud was trying to say without him needing to say it. The blond shot his youngest boyfriend a grateful look. "Yeah," was all he said.

"Things are only gonna keep changing," Zack said. He looked at Angeal, and Cloud did too.

He'd been asleep, so no one could ask about the mission. "It's getting worse," Angeal confirmed. "Every time we go out to get rid of these things they're increasingly feral. There were so many this time…"

Sephiroth looked grave. "ShinRa can't keep this quiet for much longer."

No, the company could not. The five had been discussing this for months… the evidence of ShinRa's harm against the planet grew by the day. Soon, the four top SOLDIERs would not be enough to keep this under wraps. A reactor would get attacked. A village. A city. The cause of the monsters' rage would be revealed as mako, addling with their brains. Even the five of them had only heard whispers of this, but apparently something similar was occurring in humans. In babies, exposed to mako too early and too often. Disfigurements. Anger.

If things continued like this, ShinRa would have hell to pay—there was no doubt about that.

Cloud joined ShinRa extremely reluctantly. Living in the slums for so much of his life he saw firsthand the damage the company caused. His partners knew the depth of his distaste for the company. Taking over the jobs of the two past bike specialists had been the best move regardless, however, for both Cloud and his uncle Cid. His decision to come had been difficult at first but ultimately a painless one. Not everyone was that lucky.

It seemed like AVALANCHE's numbers grew by the day. A squad of Infantry had deserted the other week. A few members of SOLDIER were angry with the company, and soon the appeal of staying to fight alongside Angeal Hewley, Sephiroth, and Genesis Rhapsodos would not be enough to make them stay.

So they discussed the situation, and had a few possible avenues to explore if things got worse. Long conversations about possibly deserting ShinRa too sobered their apartments every couple weeks. It was unlikely ShinRa would let their four best warriors just  _leave;_ it was not a route to take lightly. But were they supposed to stay with the company, when it became so clear that its actions were inexcusable? Working for ShinRa was something all of them (except for perhaps Sephiroth) had been forced to grapple with for years. Finding ways to rationalize your vital role in the imperialist violence was every SOLDIER's duty.

Maybe there was a limit to that, of what a SOLDIER could take.

But if ShinRa, Gaia hoping, improved? Realized that killing the planet was not sustainable regardless of how much money they made doing it? Would they stay?

(Cloud once joked that, if they did leave, he'd supply the getaway vehicles. Three were already downstairs, battle-ready and waiting, plus Odin and Fenrir.)

Zack raked a hand through his hair. He looked haggard—older, too, these days. "It's gonna be hard," he said. The muscles of his bare arm flexed as he clenched his fist. He let it go after a few moments as he exhaled. "Figuring out what to do."

Cloud nodded, leaning a bit more heavily back against Genesis. The redhead's arms tightened around him. Zack caught his gaze and held it.

"Odin couldn't have been easy for you, Cloud. You had all kinds of other shit going on. You got him done for me anyway." He reached out and touched Cloud's ankle. The touch was soft and brief, but still so meaningful. "Getting _you_  wasn't easy. I just sorta feel like…"

Zack hesitated for a moment. Cloud, Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth were watching him though, listening carefully to what he was saying. Zack continued. "It seems like none of the shit we do is ever  _easy_. And that means it's important. If it's this difficult, right now, figuring out what we're going to do with our lives and our situation….it means it's important enough to be worth all that effort. It feels like where we are now, even if we don't have an answer yet… we're getting there, and I think that's what we should be doing. We're in the right place, right now, even if it feels wrong sometimes."

Genesis breathed a shaky sigh into Cloud's ear. Zack had acknowledged their struggle and validated it, and eased the anxiety resulting from not having a solution.

Yeah, this relationship hadn't been easy to get—and Zack was right, decisions about it from here on out  _did_ deserve all the time and energy they were putting in. It just proved it was precious.

Angeal sat up, stretching out his arms and shoulders. "We'll make the best decision for us in the end."

"Yeah," Cloud said, believing it with everything he had, "We will."

"I think dinner is the best decision for the moment," Genesis said. He sat up too, pulling Cloud with him. "So is getting this one a potion. He hardly has the energy to chew, the poor thing."

"You can chew it first and give it to me like a bird," Cloud offered. He said it with a flat expression and threw in a wink.

" _Ew_ ," Genesis said, sticking up his nose, and got out of bed.

Someone did toss Cloud a potion, and Cloud clambered out of bed after he downed the nasty thing, tugging on his shirt. Sephiroth grabbed him on his way out the door and patted down his clothes, also flattening down some of the spikes that had gotten extra askew from all that activity.

The man wasn't quite looking at him. He plucked at the neck of the t-shirt Zack had tugged down over his head a moment earlier.

"It'll be okay," Cloud said. His smiles often came across as strained or fake. The one he gave Sephiroth now was genuine, powered by the honest belief he had in Zack's words, and the words of their other partners.

Sephiroth considered him. He nodded after a moment. Cloud did not see him tug at his neckline for the rest of the night.

The bags of take-out were sitting on the kitchen table and Zack and Genesis were already going through them, placing individual food items at people's seats. Cloud didn't know what they'd ordered him but figured he'd like it—they knew him, at this point, like the back of their hands. Or perhaps 'their leading edge of their swords' was a better comparison. Angeal had it a bit harder because he had two.

"What do you want to drink, Cloud?" Angeal asked as Cloud entered the kitchen.

"Water's fine—oh,  _shit_."

He'd gotten a glance at the clock on the wall. "Fuck, I gotta call my uncle."

He turned around and hurried back out of the room. His cell phone, where was it, where was it—he found it on the floor of the guest room, having fallen out of his pocket when he'd changed out of his oil-streaked clothes in there. He was seventeen minutes late; Cid would be pissed.

Yes—there were two missed calls.

Cloud sat on the bed and dialed Cid. "Where the fuck were you?" his uncle greeted instead of a standard  _hello_.

"Getting fu—"

"Aw,  _hell_ , Cloud!"

Cloud laughed loudly, tipping backwards onto the bed. Gaia, he missed Cid Highwind. "Sorry," he said, still grinning, smiling at the ceiling. "I'm here now. Tell me how it went."

"It went fuckin' great. She got right off the ground, kid—higher than any o' them ShinRa choppers ever have any hope to. The mayor in town was here and he was watching. Some of the scientists that live outside Cosmo came too. Shera went up with me, and the way her eyes lit up, Cloud… you'd wish you could see it. She says she wishes you coulda been up there with us too."

Cloud almost had to swallow past a lump in his throat. Cid, too, sounded uncharacteristically emotional. He drawled, acting cool, "There you two are, up in the air, and I'm stuck down in the basement in the middle of the plate."

"I know you are." Cid was serious. "And I know I keep sayin' this, but without you we wouldn't have gotten this far on the  _Freya_."

"It's no trouble."

Today was just a first test—a small, compact aircraft that just hinted at the vast, sprawling air ships Cid wanted to build in the coming years. Cloud replaced two salaried ShinRa employees with his appointment as the motorcycle specialist, after all. He now had far too much money for just himself, when his only expenses went towards food occasionally and he lived with his four partners anyway. The entirety of that second paycheck, along with most of Cloud's other one, to be honest—had been going to Cid. With that extra income Cid was finally able to leave  _Highwind Auto_ and Midgar and go back to Rocket Town.

For the past few months Cid had been fundraising—sharing his ideas, speaking at conferences, and visiting far-off cities. People were getting excited about his airships. This new flow of cash meant he could finally go back to building prototypes—ones like the  _Freya,_ which he had just demonstrated for the first time today.

"I'll probably be thankin' you for the next decade," Cid said, stubbornness making his voice gruffer than usual.

"And I'll keep tellin' you it's no problem."

"Fine. Tomorrow we're doing another flight with  _Freya_. If we get high enough that we can see Nibelheim over the mountains I'll flip them off for you."

"Please do that. Sephiroth and Zack have a mission there in a couple weeks—I might go along. Flip off some of the old neighbors myself. Did you take pictures today?"

"They're already sittin' in your inbox," Cid said. Cloud could hear the grin in his voice now—Cid was so damn  _proud_ , and so damn happy.

"Cool. I'll check them out, then."

"You fuckin' better—she's a beauty! Nothin' like the  _Shera_ is going to be, but close." Cid paused for a moment. "Hey. You know if things go south on your end, with the company or with anything else—Shera and I could always use someone who knows their way around repairing machines."

Cloud chuckled quietly. "Yeah. I know. Thanks, uncle Cid."

"Yeah." Cid sounded embarrassed. "I'm gonna go. We're havin' a celebration for the flight today an' I'm itchin' for a cigarette, too. You should get back to those young men of yours."

"Yeah." Cloud could hear them a couple rooms over. They were talking to each other, joking, telling stories. Waiting for him to come back. He stood, and started towards them. "Guess I should."


End file.
